All about in Idalgashinna
Idalgashinna Railway Station, halfway between Haputale and Ohiya, is frequently cited as Sri Lanka’s most attractive train station.
When the railway route was extended from Nanu Oya to Haputale in 1893, the station, which dates from the colonial era, was built.
The station is renowned for having the most tunnels in Sri Lanka between two railway stations, with 14 tunnels connecting Ohiya and Idalgashinna.
Idalgashinna Station is a modest station that is made to appear even more insignificant by the hill covered with pine trees that towers behind it.
As soon as you exit the train, all you can see are endless green hills with a few scatted houses that poke through the vegetation. There is only one platform for the entire station.
Because the station is engulfed in a dense cloud of mist in the later afternoons and evenings, the best time to visit is in the morning, particularly during sunrise.
Even with the limited view, it is still wonderful to see the mist come in and blanket everything in white.
In addition, there is a gorgeous walking path that connects Idalgashinna Station with Ohiya Station.
The 8km trail takes roughly three hours to complete. The walk follows a railroad track for much of its length, hugging the cliff faces it crosses and providing some of the most stunning vistas of the forested hills.
The trail also passes through 14 tunnels, all of which have an eerie sense to them when you stand on the edge and stare into a tunnel of darkness, as well as deep valleys.
This is excellent and unquestionably a must-do when in Haputale, it goes without saying.
