JKH committed to rejuvenate Slave Island railway station
The Slave Island Railway Station, better known as the Kompanna Vidiya
Railway Station, stands strong as one of the oldest legacies of our
British heritage.
The area got its name during the British occupation and originates
from the Portuguese and Dutch period of administration when slaves,
mostly African, were brought here. Since then, the area has evolved into
a commercial locale with business establishments, hotels and shopping
centers, making it a fitting central Railway Station location.
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The busy Kompanna Vidiya Railway
Station renovated and maintained by John Keells. |
The architecture of the Station was similar to that of the stations
on the Liverpool-Manchester line and the London-Birmingham line at the
time", states Sirisena Rajapakshe, author of "The History of Sri Lankan
Railways." This colonial influence in architecture made the Slave Island
Station the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, making it truly special.
Built under the Governor Gregory regime, it was latterly the first
station on the coastline route to have a double platform, following the
duplication of the coastline from 1913 onwards. The coastline rail
track, initially constructed from Fort to Moratuwa in the 1870's, was
subsequently and gradually extended to Matara.
The track was originally designed across Galle Face, but due to
requests by the public to avoid the promenade, an alternate route
through Slave Island was decided upon.
The Station was built shortly after the construction of the track, on
a grander and more elaborate scale than its precursors, the stations at
Colpetty and Wellawatte.
This station boasted a magnificent structure which was larger, more
spacious and architecturally superior to any other station in the
country. Contracted to the contractors, Francis Dawson Mitchell of
Ceylon the station was modelled typically on the Victorian style British
Railway stations.
The station was and still is famed for its architectural worth,
embedded with colonial and historical value.
It remains an emblem of Victorian art, displaying stylish arches,
intricate woodwork, neo-modern metal installations and the signature
mixing of iron and stone, standing as a striking example of refined
technology.
The founder of The Model Rail Road Club of Sri Lanka and Committee
member of the National Railway Museum, Vinodh Wickremeratne believes
that the station also 'possesses delicate Teutonic and Gothic
characteristics, which are unfortunately unappreciated by the majority
of rushing commuters, but succeed in making the station truly
different'.
It is in this light that John Keells Holdings stepped in to refurbish
and maintain this social, economic and commercial treasure, while
preserving its colonial architectural value.
Commencing in 2002, the project aimed at restoring the station to its
original splendour and enabling modern facilities to compliment the
age-old architecture by refurbishing and modernizing the level crossing,
bridge and other amenities within the station.
Working on the basis that the station should not be just another
amenity to the people who pass by, but more so, clean and user friendly,
JKH ensures daily maintenance of the station.
Other aspects of renovation include the reconstruction of the
overhead bridge with additional roofs to the two sides, which has proved
to be immensely useful for commuters during the rainy season. In
addition, all benches have been repaired and painted so that they could
be fully utilised during peak hours, the ceiling at the main entrance /
ticket counter fully redone, the building re-painted, and all necessary
lights replaced, ensuring that there is a pleasant appearance on
entering the station.
The next phase will involve paving the concrete blocks and erecting a
gate at the side entrance to facilitate the rush hour workers.
JKH hopes to continue maintaining the station at a high standard on a
long-term basis. Project work (including all repairs and routine
maintenance of the building and service areas) is sponsored and
implemented by John Keells PLC under the guidance of John Keells Social
Responsibility Foundation.
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