Branching off the Batticaloa line at Gal Oya Junction, the line heads north-east through North Central and Eastern provinces before terminating at the eastern city of Trincomalee.

The line is 70 kilometres (43 mi) long and has nine stations.

[2] The rail line was originally called the Batticaloa-Trincomalee Light Railway, as only locomotives with light axle loads were permitted.

The circuitous route led to some rail employees wondering if the construction costs were paid on a mileage basis, with a manager stating "it followed the path of an intelligent cow".

In the 1950s the route was deviated removing a number of sharp curves and steep gradients together with a switch to heavier rails to match the rest of the country's rail system.