Some of its routes are scenic, with the main line passing (or crossing) waterfalls, mountains, tea estates, pine forests, bridges and peak stations.

The initial sod turning was on 3 August 1858 (near the present Maradana railway station) by Governor Sir Henry Ward.

The Ceylon Railway Company's contractor, William Thomas Doyne, soon realised that it was impossible to complete the work on the estimate submitted.

At the end of 1862 the Crown Agents for the Colonies accepted, on behalf of the Government of Ceylon, a tender from William Frederick Faviell for the construction of 117 km (73 mi) of railway between Colombo and Kandy.

Many Ceylonese people referred to the trains as (Sinhala:අගුරු කකා වතුර බිබී කොළඹ දුවන යකඩ යකා) Anguru Kaka Wathura Bibi Colaba Duwana Yakada Yaka[6] ("coal-eating, water-drinking, metal devils which are sprinting to Colombo").

[6] Emphasising punctuality and comfort, Rampala led upgrades to major stations outside Colombo and the rebuilding of track in the Eastern Province to facilitate heavier, faster trains.

He introduced express trains (many of which had iconic names), and ensured that Ceylon's rail system was up to date and offered comfort to its passengers.

[12] Sri Lanka Railways began partnering with ExpoRail and Rajadhani Express in 2011 for premium service on major routes.

Although Sri Lanka did not have commercially-operating electric locomotives or trainsets in 2011, electrification has been proposed to improve energy efficiency and sustainability.

Electrification of the Panadura-Veyangoda line is proposed in phase one of the Western Region Megapolis plan with a soft loan from the Asian Development Bank.

During the mid-twentieth century, the busiest sectors (around Colombo) were upgraded to electronic signalling connected to a CTC control panel at the Maradana railway station.

Service began in 1864 with the construction of the Main Line from Colombo to Ambepussa, 54 kilometres (34 mi) east, and the first train ran on 27 December 1864.

[38] The Main Line begins in Colombo and runs east and north past the developing centres of Ragama, Ganemulla Gampaha, Veyangoda, Mirigama, Ambepussa and Polgahawela.

The track runs along the edge of sheer cliffs between Balana and Kadugannawa, allowing passengers a view of Batalegala.

The coastal line runs south from Colombo, following the Indian Ocean, with views of tropical beaches and coconut palm trees.

It links the regional centres of Moratuwa, Panadura and Kalutara, and beach resorts at Aluthgama, Ambalangoda and Hikkaduwa.

High Speed Railway Corporation (HSRC) plans to introduce a maglev system to the island with a line connecting Negombo and Colombo 3.

[49] A proposal to link the railways of Sri Lanka and India did not materialise, but a combined train-ferry-train service (known as Boat Mail) connected Colombo with Chennai for much of the twentieth century.

[50] A 35 km (22 miles) bridge linking the countries was proposed in 1894 by the consultant engineer for railways in Madras (Chennai); a blueprint and cost analysis were made.

[50] Commuter rail service connects Colombo to its suburbs, helping alleviate rush-hour congestion on city roads.

[52][32] A 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard-gauge metro system was proposed during the 2010s to give Colombo commuters a clean, environmentally-friendly transit option.