Henarathgoda Old Railway Station

RATE THIS LOCATION : 1 Star

(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)

The original Henarathgoda Railway Station built by the British. — The original Henarathgoda Railway Station built by the British seen in 1908
Source : Book of Ceylon by Henry W. Cave

The Henarathgoda Old Railway Station stands among the earliest railway stations established in Sri Lanka by the British, located along the first railway line that connected Colombo and Kandy. Built in 1866 alongside the Mahara and Veyangoda stations (G. F. Perera, 1925), this station remained in use until more recent times, when railway operations were shifted to the newly established Gampaha Railway Station.

Origins of Railway Development in Ceylon

The initial push for rail transport on the island began in 1845 with the establishment of the Ceylon Railway Company in Britain, aimed at developing a railway system in colonial Ceylon. However, for more than fifteen years, little to no progress was made due to various reasons. By that time, Kandy had already become the center of coffee cultivation in the hill country, prompting a decision to build a railway line from Colombo to Kandy as the country’s first rail route (G. F. Perera, 1925).

In 1860, the Ceylon Railway Company was dissolved, and responsibility for construction was taken over by the colonial government. Actual work on the line began in 1863. The first section, from Colombo to Ambepussa, was opened to traffic on 2 October 1865. The full 74.5-mile stretch from Colombo to Kandy was opened to passenger transport on 1 August 1867 and to freight transport on 1 October 1867 (Munasinghe, 1972).

Gampaha and the Henarathgoda Railway Station

At the time, Gampaha was a vital center for the trade and transport of agricultural goods such as betel leaves, areca nuts, pepper, cinnamon, rubber, tea, and coconuts. One of the region’s main attractions was the Henarathgoda Botanic Gardens, renowned for hosting some of the finest Para rubber trees in the region. In fact, many foreign travelers arriving at the port of Colombo would specifically make excursions to Henarathgoda to view these remarkable trees (Cave, 1910).

Henry Cave’s 1908 photo suggests that the Henarathgoda Railway Station as a charming structure reflecting colonial architecture. However, the station visible today is markedly different, suggesting that the original building was demolished or replaced at a later time with a smaller and more modern structure.

Preservation as a Heritage Site

With the relocation of the railway station to the new Gampaha site, the old Henarathgoda station building was preserved by the Department of Archaeology in 2004. It was officially declared a protected monument on 13 February 2009.

References

Abeywardena, M. Y. (2009). Government Notifications—the Antiquities Ordinance. The Gazette of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, No. 1589 (Friday, February 13, 2009), 192.
Cave, H. W. (1908). The Book of Ceylon—Being a Guide to Its Railway System and an Account of Its Varied Attractions for the Visitor and Tourist. Cassell and Company Limited.
Cave, H. W. (1910). The Ceylon Government Railway: A Descriptive and Illustrated Guide (1st ed.). Cassell and Company, Limited.
Munasinghe, T. G. I. (1972). The Development and History of Transportation in Ceylon: A Study of Roads and Railways, 1800-1905 [PhD Dissertation]. University of London.
Perera, G. F. (1925). The Ceylon Railway: The Story of Its Inception and Progress (1st ed.). The Ceylon Observer.

Also See

Map of the Henarathgoda Old Railway Station

Click on the button below to load the Dynamic Google Map

Show Location on Google Maps

The map above also shows other places of interest within a approximately 20 km radius of the current site. Click on any of the markers and the info box to take you to information of these sites

Zoom out the map to see more surrounding locations using the mouse scroll wheel or map controls.