 Railway Ride
by Nilma Dole
Trains in Sri Lanka are not
sharp on time but they do arrive within the fifth minute. Taking a train
ride would take you through areas of scenic beauty and will be animating
than just going by bus. As much as you miss the baila music blaring
through the speakers and crazy bus drivers on the road journey, the
train ride is definitely faster and cheaper. Moreover, there are no
blaring speakers The typical train ride on the coastal line is a fitting
example of Sri Lanka’s iconic scenery as much as the hilly plains are a
firm favourite.
 Any tourist would favour the coastal and golden sands of the Galle
beaches and the white sands of Hikkaduwa to even precarious mountain
tops but they all have their own beauty. Make sure you buy your ticket
before the journey so you have the ticket for collection as you depart.
As opposed to baila music from the speakers, the train journey is filled
with beggars with all instruments and drums to entertain you on the
journey.
Various vadai vendors and fruit sellers scream the price of their
wares and tantalise your scent buds with the fresh aroma of oranges and
large Malaysian guavas. If you’re lucky, there might be an ice-cream
vendor along the way to cool your sweaty body after you make your way to
your seats.
If you’re not lucky to have your own seat, hold tight to the bars and
prepare for a rocky joy ride that finishes in double-quick time. The
actual ride itself can be rather noisy with the old English-built trains
rattling and throbbing along the railyway line so unless you have ear
plugs on, it’ll be difficult to catch on your siesta once you take your
seat. The circulation isn’t very good on a hot day with some fans
working and others not but open the train windows for good ventilation.
If you’re lucky to catch the Express train or the more posh ones, the
Observation Carriage is a brilliant way to see 180 degree views of Sri
Lanka’s stunning landscape and avoid the hustle and bustle of the
overcrowded carriages. The Sri Lanka Railway, originally known as Ceylon
Government Railways, was founded in the 1850s to develop and unite Sri
Lanka. Service started in 1864, with the construction of the Main Line
from Colombo to Ambepussa, 54 kilometres to the east. The Railway was
initially built to transport coffee and tea from the hill country to
Colombo for export.
For many years, transporting such goods was the main source of income
on the line. With time and the population growth, however, passenger
traffic increased. In the 1960s, passenger traffic overtook freight as
the main source of revenue.
The railway is now primarily engaged in the transport of passengers,
especially commuters to and from Colombo, thereby reducing road
congestion. Eventually, the steam powered engine changed to diesel with
the breakthrough in massive development and today, Sri Lanka’s engineers
will be setting up an electric train to minimise fuel consumption and in
a bid to also prevent climate change and global warming. The Railway
Yard located at Dematogoda actually builds trains and count 100 years of
service to the nation.
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