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The '''Ceylon Government RailwayCompany'''was formed as a joint stock company in 1847 to establish and operate a railway line from [[Colombo]] to Kandy in the British colony of [[Ceylon]] (today the state of Sri Lanka), principally to facilitate the local planters. Construction commenced in 1856 but, after not a great deal of progress, concerns were voiced as to the economic viability of the enterprise (whether the 5% guaranteed return was disproportionate to the escalating cost of construction). The Secretary of State for the Colonies- subsequently annulled the contract and took over all the company’s assets and liabilities and the Company was dissolved in 1862. Once the government had taken over the company’s assets it set about fulfilling construction of a railway system for the island by inviting tenders from interested building contractors and taking over three existing contracts, one with Robert Stephenson & Co., locomotive engineers.<ref> [https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228649/8330.pdf H.M. Government “Statute Law Repeals: Nineteenth Report : Draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill; April 2012"; page xxx, paragraph xx];. Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref>

Not part The '''Ceylon Government Railway''' was established by the British Colonial Government in 1864. The main reason for building a railway system in Ceylon was to transport tea and coffee from the hill country to Colombo. The railway was totally independent of the Indian Railway system. <ref> [http://www.railway.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=137&Itemid=181&lang=en Sri Lanka Government "Railways/History"];. Retrieved on 2 January 2016</ref>

Built to transport tea Initially the service began with the Main Line of 54 kilometres connecting Colombo and coffee Ambepussa. Extensions were made to Columbo; progessive extensions until 1928 The railway network was introduced by the British colonial government main line in 18641867, 1874, 1885, 1894 and 1924, extending its service to Kandy, Nawalapitiya, Nanu Oya,Bandarawela and Badulla, respectively. The main reason for building a Many other railway system in lines were added to Ceylon was Railway System within the first century of its life, such as a line to transport tea Matale in 1880, Coast Railway Line in 1895, Northern Line in 1905, Mannar Line in 1914, Kelani Valley in 1919, Puttalam Line in 1926, and coffee from the hill country Railway Line to ColomboBatticaloa and Trincomalee in 1928. <ref>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka_Railways Wkipedia "Sri Wikipedia “Sri Lanka Railways"Railways” ]; Retrieved 10 Dec 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.railway.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=137&Itemid=181&lang=en Government of Sri Lanka "History of Sri Lanka Railways"]; Retrieved 10 Dec 2015on 2 January 2016</ref>