[1][2][3] There are 46 tunnels along the Main Line between Colombo and Badulla.
[6] It was the longest railway tunnel in the county until the construction of Kakunadura tunnel at Nakuttiyagama, as part of the project to extend the railway line from Matara to Beliatta.In the middle of the tunnel the gradient begins to decline, as the Kotagala railway station is approximately 23 m (75 ft) lower than the Hatton railway station.
[7] The tunnel was designed by Sir Guilford Lindsey Molesworth, the first Director-General of Railways in Ceylon (1865-1871) and constructed by F. W.
[3] The tunnel's construction represented a significant engineering feat at the time, as it was bored from both ends meeting in the middle.
[9] It is also called Singha Malai tunnel, after a nearby rock formation, Singha is Tamil for 'Lion' and Malai for 'Mountain'.