The Sri Lanka Railways hotline number is 1971. It runs 24 hours a day. Passengers can call it for train schedules, seat reservations and ticket fares, and to report problems on a train or at a station.
The Department of Railways introduced 1971 in April 2021. It said the number would handle all complaints and information requests about railway services. From 14 July 2022, the line has run around the clock. Callers can speak in Sinhala, Tamil or English.
What you can ask 1971
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Train times: departure and arrival times between stations, and whether a train is running today.
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Seat reservations: how to book reserved seats, and which trains carry them.
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Ticket fares: fares by class for your journey.
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Complaints and emergencies: delays, safety issues, lost property or problems on board.
Before you call, keep the train number, travel date and station names ready. This helps the operator answer faster.
Other ways to check train information
You can find the timetable between any two stations on our train schedule page. It lists every train on a route, with departure and arrival times, journey time and train type.
Each station page on SL Railway Forum also lists that station's own phone number. For example, Colombo Fort's number is +94112421281 (see the Colombo Fort station page). Call the station directly for platform or local questions.
Key details
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Hotline: 1971
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Hours: 24 hours, every day
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Languages: Sinhala, Tamil, English
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For: train schedules, seat reservations, fares, complaints
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Online timetable: slrailwayforum.com/timetable