Counting railway sleepers at Elephant Kingdom

Year and Month	2016 December 04th 2017 January 01st
Number of Days	One and half days
Crew	Habarana to Gal Oya junction: Ashan, Chamara and My self Gal Oya junction to Minneriya: Chanuka, Lalinda and Myself
Accommodation	Not applicable
Transport	Walking along rail track
Activities	Rail hike, Visiting wild elephants and photography
Weather	Excellent
Route	Habarana (හබරණ)->Hatharas Kotuwa (හතරැස් කොටුව)->Gal Oya junction (ගල් ඔය හන්දිය)->Minneriya (මින්නේරිය)
Tips, Notes and Special remark	Walking along the railway line is prohibited in law but people do. Better carry a bottle of water. There are limited drinking water sources on either side of rail track. There is number of bridges but no water or drinkable water runs under them. People at Hatharas Kotuwa also have a problem with drinking water. No water drinkable water sources from Gal Oya junction to Minneriya as well. Train schedule along Colombo-Batticalo line is not busy at all. You may come across few trains running. There are no tunnels and enough spaces on either side of rail track. Do it following rainy season. Then environment is fresh and surrounding is greenish. The rail hike along dry zone is not that much interesting as other rail hikes. Visiting wild elephant is the spirit of this journey. There is only one bus travelling from Minneriya to Hatharas Kotuwa. You can get the bus from Gal Oya junction Or can heir threewheel from there to Minneriya or Hatharas Kotuwa.
Author	Niroshan
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Sri Lankan rail tracks run in different environmental locations of the country where you can have different experiences with rail walk. Rail hike along central part gives maximum beauty of the country and costal rail walk is totally different from it. We thought of doing a rail walk in dry zone mainly rail tracks runs through forests. Total credit should go to Chamara as he was so enthusiastic on doing this. We selected the section of Colombo-Batticalo line from Habarana to Minneriya where Kaudulla (කවුඩුල්ල) and Minneriya national parks are at direct touch with the rail line. It was an amazing experience of meeting wild elephants along rail track.

I met Ashan and Chamara at Habarana junction. Habarana station is situated about 3km from Habarana town. Habarana is the junction of Trincomale and Polonnaruwa road. But Galoya junction is the point where Trincomale and Batticalo rail tracks meet. We travelled to Habarana railway station by three wheeler and started the journey towards Gal Oya junction.

As soon after get into the railway track we have noticed a board shows elephant crossing. This is the area you can get maximum amount of Elephants cross along the railway track. Therefore they will get more accidents with train and deaths. Following the rain surrounding was greenish. Colombo Trincomale road also runs parallel to the railway line with few meters apart but later separated well from the railway track.

Most of the times this railway line was almost flat and can view another 1-2 kms well. It rarely had bends not like Udarata railway line. Till we reach Hatharas Kotuwa there were no houses and same scenario was detected in between Hatharas Kotuwa and Galoya Junction.

Starting at Habarana

Colombo-Trincomale road crossing the railway line at Habarana

Train schedule at Habarana station

Warning at the beginning

Nice flat railway line

Randomly placed…

It was greenish on either side with Mana and bushes

They were two chaps walking with me…

Newly placed sleepers

Most of the time you can view the distance for another 1-2kms.

Wood sleepers make the journey fast…

Something fun…..

They put all boards at one place….

Old elephant dung….

Another elephant crossing….

At a break…

Old bridge..

Still Trincomale road is parallel to rail way track

Mana on either side

Always there are milestones and Kilometer posts on either side of the railway line.

The only house was found closer to the railway line. This is a store/rest room of CGR.

Now they are posing….

“Udaya Devi”(උදය දේවී) has passed us….

Trio of the journey…

Snapped at ground level…..

We have come across elephants in different occasions between Habarana and Galoya. They were noticed far front as well as behind us. Once a jumbo has crossed in front of us. Third time an elephant was eating closer to railway line without moving even though it has seen us. It made us bit anxious and wanted to bypass the railway line. Later we have decided to proceed along the railway line while watching his reaction towards us. Luckily he didn’t take any action against us.

First elephant encounter at distant vicinity.

Jumbo is crossing the railway track

He got scared by seeing us

Scary faces after seeing the elephant closer to railway line.

They were thinking whether to bypass the railway line.

The jumbo who was at closer to railway line.

Heroes after crossing jumbos

If you are not capturing things when you go, it is such a boring thing to walk along railway line.

Star tortoise. (තාරකා ඉබ්බා) It was a common finding along railway line.

Awaiting ….

Kilometer post

Might be following an accident

Tree house at Chena. It is a sign that we are closer to human inhabitants.

Reaching Hatharas Kotuwa station

Smiley faces…

We have refreshed our selves at Hatharas Kotuwa with cool drinks (The villagers at Hatharas Kotuwa buy drinking water). Safari jeeps were passing to Kaudulla Park with tourists. It is not a safari season in other years but it is a good advantage to them due to drought. The section between Hatharas Kotuwa to Gal Oya junction was same as previous stretch. As it was the evening of the day we expected to view more and more elephants. Unfortunately it didn’t happen. We reached Gal Oya junction just before Mahawa train departures. The lake at Gal Oya junction adds extra beauty to rail track. It is a nice place for bird watching at evening.
We found a three wheel from Gal Oya junction and travelled to Colombo-Trincomale road to catch a bus to Habarana. It ends 16.3k journey along rail track from Habarana to Gal Oya junction.

Railway crossing after Hatharas Kotuwa

Over the line….

Reaching Gal Oya junction railway station

Reaching Gal Oya junction railway station where Trincomale and Batticalo railway lines separate

The gap….

Slow train travels to Mahawa (මහව)

Though we plan to catch the train we missed it….

Parked at Gal Oya junction railway station

Trio at Galoya Junction Railway station

Towards Minneriya. This is the road between Minneriya and Hatharas Kotuwa.

Gal Oya Junction Lake. Mountains in Minneriya can be seen beyond the lake.

Gal Oya Junction Lake-sun set over it.

The rail track over the lake

Birds of same line…

Pelicans

Work out report at the end of the day. 16.3kms.

Rail walk from Gal Oya junction to Minneriya
This rail track goes through Kaudulla National Park to get touch with Minneriya railway station. The distance between these two stations is 8.1km. We thought it might be another opportunity to visit wild elephants if walk along this section as well.
This journey was arranged in a separate day and I ask two of my colleagues to join with me in an evening. We started from Minneriya station (as it is easy to travel from Polonnaruwa) and walked till Gal Oya junction.
Though we expected elephants it didn’t happen. Forest was on either side of the railway line and no human traces were found till Gal Oya junction railway line.
I could enjoy the evening beauty of Gal Oya junction Lake again.