▁to ▁ ▁G alle ▁. ▁After ▁nearly ▁a ▁year ▁and ▁half ▁later ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁December ▁ 1 8 9 5 ▁train ▁services ▁to ▁ ▁Mat ara ▁ ▁comm enced . ▁ ▁Tw enti eth - century ▁growth ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁mid - tw enti eth ▁century , ▁the ▁coast al ▁line ▁experienced ▁many ▁changes ▁to ▁accommod ate ▁growing ▁traffic . ▁ ▁G alle ▁Station ▁was ▁upgrad ed ▁with ▁better ▁facilities ▁and ▁modern ▁architecture . ▁ ▁Express ▁trains ▁began ▁serving ▁the ▁line , ▁including ▁the ▁now ▁celebrated ▁Ru h un u ▁K um ari . ▁ ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁railway ▁network , ▁dies el ▁tra ction ▁replaced ▁steam ▁locomot ives ▁on ▁all ▁services . ▁ ▁T sun ami ▁dis aster ▁and ▁after math ▁ ▁The ▁railway ▁line ▁was ▁sever ely ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁t sun ami . ▁ ▁A ▁train ▁was ▁swe pt ▁off ▁the ▁track , ▁killing ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁in ▁the ▁worst ▁rail ▁dis aster ▁in ▁history . ▁ ▁Track ▁upgrade ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 – 2 0 1 2 , ▁the ▁Coast al ▁Line ▁under w ent ▁complete ▁reconst ruction ▁between ▁Kal ut ara ▁and ▁Mat ara , ▁to ▁upgrade ▁the ▁track . ▁ ▁The ▁line ▁was ▁upgrad ed ▁to ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁handle ▁trains ▁at ▁, ▁allowing ▁for ▁shorter ▁journey ▁times ▁and ▁sm o other ▁service . ▁ ▁The ▁upgrade ▁included ▁replacing ▁the ▁rails ▁and ▁sleep ers ▁to ▁ensure