Blue Line Express (Sinhala: රාජධානි එක්ස්ප්රස් Rajadhani Ekspras) was a train service provider in Sri Lanka, a part of Blue Line Company. Blue Line Express provided premium services on several routes in Sri Lanka, in partnership with Sri Lanka Railways.
 Rajadhani Express, Sri Lanka | |
| Main route(s) | Main Line |
|---|---|
| Other route(s) | Coastal Line |
| Parent company | Blue Line Company |
Overview
editAlthough it did not operate its own trains for scheduled services, Blue Line Express operated carriages attached to trains operated by Sri Lanka Railways. Blue Line provided on-board services and marketd it as a separate operation. The service was aimed at middle and upper middle-income and foreign tourists. Sri Lanka Railways generated revenue by charging Blue Line a standard first-class fare per seat. Blue Line charged an additional premium on its passengers beyond the standard fare to provide its services.[1]
History
editThe Blue Line Company launched Rajadhani Express on 1 October 2011, with its first service on a Kandy intercity train. On the same day, a competing service was launched by Expolanka, called ExpoRail. Rajadhani Express services ended on 31 March 2017.[2] On 1 March 2019, The service started to Kandy with a new name (Blue Line Express) and updated carriages.[3]
Services
editBlue Line Express served one route, on the upcountry rail line in Sri Lanka.[4]
| Route | Calling at | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Line | Colombo Fort to Kandy | All Main Line stations | Daily |
Rolling stock
edit
Blue Line Express used Romanian-built ASTRA passenger coaches. Imported by Sri Lanka Railways in the 1990s, they were refurbished in 2011–2012 to Blue Line's specifications. They were painted gold and blue to suit the name change from "Rajadhani" to "Blue Line Express" in 2019.
See also
edit- ExpoRail, Rajadhani's main competitor, serving a similar niche market
References
edit- ^ "Luxury rail services on tracks from today". Daily FT. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "No, these photos have circulated online since 2013 in reports about a train service in Sri Lanka". Fact Check. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
- ^ "Sri Lankan railway introduces luxury class Services on Colombo -Kandy rails". News.lk. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
- ^ "Time Schedules and Rates". Rajadhani Express. Retrieved 10 August 2013.