Train services on the Gampola to Nawalapitiya section of the Upcountry railway line, which was severely damaged by Cyclone Ditwah, are expected to resume in December, according to engineers in charge of the Upcountry Railway Line Development Project.

Preliminary reconstruction work on the section has already commenced. A total of eight landslides occurred along the track between Gampola and Nawalapitiya, with the most extensive damage reported near the Ulapane brick culvert.

A train affected by the disaster remains stranded in the Ulapane Warakapitiya area due to massive landslides blocking the track both ahead and behind it.

Cyclone Ditwah, recorded as the worst natural disaster in Sri Lanka's recent history, caused nearly Rs 69 billion in damage to the national railway network.

The centuries-old Colombo–Badulla line suffered 223 landslides and earth slips, completely halting train travel along the route.

Following ten months of restoration work carried out in several stages, train operations were restored up to Gampola on 2 October.

However, nearly a year after the disaster, direct train services from Colombo to Badulla have yet to be restored.