List of rail accidents in Sri Lanka

This list of railway accidents in Sri Lanka provides details of significant railway crashes in Sri Lanka involving railway rolling stock.

Other than these, a number of accidents have taken place. One major type is elephant accidents, which typically occur in the North-Central area. Other accidents occur at unsecured level crossings with road traffic.

Worst disasters

The worst disaster was the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami-rail disaster with more than 1700 people killed by a tsunami following the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.^[1]

1900s

12 March 1928 – A passenger train and a mixed train collided near Kalutara killing 28 people.
23 May 1958 – A night mail train derailed at Batticaloa, killing three and injuring several others.
18 March 1964 – Sixty people died in a derailment at Mirigama.^[2]
19 January 1985 – Eleven passengers were killed by an LTTE bomb on a Yal Devi train.
October 1985 – A freight train from Trincomalee to Colombo was bombed by LTTE. A Class M2 No. 571 locomotive was destroyed.
24 July 1996 – Seventy people died after a train was bombed by LTTE at Dehiwala.
4 December 1996 – LTTE attacked another train on the Trincomalee Line. Class M6 No. 798 locomotive was destroyed in this incident.

2000s

19 August 2001 – A train derailed due to high speed and overcrowding, killing 46 people, between Alawwa and Rambukkana.
January 2002 – The Intercity Express heading to Colombo from Kandy derails near Rambukkana causing more than 15 deaths. The derailment was due to malfunctioning of the braking system.
13 June 2002 – A train derailed while coming into Alawwa railway station, killing 14 people.
26 December 2004 – 2004 tsunami rail disaster. At Peraliya, approximately 2685 died in the world's biggest rail disaster as a train is overwhelmed by the tsunami created by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
26 April 2005 – Polgahawela level crossing collision, a private bus driver tries to overtake another bus and the train at a level crossing in Yangalmodara close to Polgahawela crashed. Thirty-seven people died, all on the bus.^[3]
17 September 2011 – 2011 Alawwa rail accident, near Alawwa railway station, two trains (intercity express train no 1029 Colombo to Kandy and a Class S11 DMU) collided killing five people and injuring over 30 people.^[4]
17 May 2012 – Two trains collided between the Wandurawa and Keenawala railway stations in Veyangoda.^[5]
30 April 2014 – An Intercity Express train to north and the Colombo bound Rajarata Rajina train collided at Pothuhera, injuring 68 passengers.^[6]
5 February 2018 - A train travelling between Colombo and Galle collided with a truck at Angulana, killing four people and seriously injuring two others.
28 August 2019 - Two trains travelling between Colombo Fort and Maradana stations (Fort-Chilaw) and (Maradana-Kalutara) collided head on at around 10:20 AM, with no injuries.
1 February 2022 - A family of four was killed when their vehicle collided with Rajarata Rajina at Rillamba Junction in Boossa.