Special bus/train service for holiday season

Special bus and train services will operate from today ( Dec. 24) to ease the festive travel rush. 

Apart  from existing schedules that are already in operation, extra trips for buses and trains would be introduced to ensure better transport services for the general public, according to the Chairman of the National Transport Commission, Engineer P. A. Chandrapala.
The Chairman said that the running of long-distance bus services comes under the regulation of the National Transport Commission with a focus on the terminals of Kadawatha, Kaduwela and Makumbura. Further, the running of the bus services has commenced on the expressways and the coastal highway under a new operational system.
A cumulative total of 70 trips has been allocated to the Galle and Matara regions. The Makumbura Multimodal Transport Centre, Colombo Bastian Mawatha, Kaduwela, and other origin stations are under continuous observation. Bus operations are also carrying out trips from Kurunegala to Colombo via Routes 5 and 6 and also from Kurunegala to Meerigama via the expressway and further to Colombo. Intermodal transport schemes are also carried out in the Central Province.

The long-distance express services for places such as Badulla and Ampara are being conducted with Colombo Bastian Mawatha as the principal terminal along with special teams of staff in addition to the existing staff. In addition, express schedules originating from Kadawatha and Kaduwela have been adjusted according to passenger demand.

The number of buses from the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) operating from Colombo to other regional and nearby cities has also increased. Since there are no major problems at this time, buses now have high priority in order to travel to affected zones.

The integrated transport system will run until 05 January 2026. The National Transport Commission also appeals for the co-operation of passengers in dealing with annual festive season traffic and invites passengers to report any transport problem to hotline number 1955, while keeping constant contact with the Commission.
Moreover, roads which had been affected by cyclone Dithwah are now repaired, and the operations of the transport sector have returned to normalcy.
Operations of the trains along the Northern Line commence from Colombo Fort to Kankesanthurai and also from Kankesanthurai to Colombo Fort. The Batticaloa train serves the public from today at 5.00 a.m. Up and down trains between Ambewela and Badulla have been introduced along the Upcountry Line. Trains from Colombo to Trincomalee have been in operation since the 22nd.

All the train services on the Coastal Line and Main Line are in operation. A special train on the Coastal Line has been introduced today and next Monday between Maradana and Matara. From tomorrow (25th of December 2025), the intercity train service between Kankesanthurai and the rest of the country will be in operation and an arrangement has been made to give relief on Sundays too.