ABC of our modern transport system

To place things in their proper time perspective, on January 1, 2000, I was in the city of Cairo, now a hub of much political turmoil. Our tour group had lodged in the previous midnight and so it was next morning when I threw open the windows of my room that I had a glorious view of the city just spreading around. Along with the banners that laughed at the rest of the world (celebrating the dawn of the 3rd millennium) by carrying the wishes "Greetings to seventh century millennium" which implied the length and breadth of Egyptian civilisation what approximated to a steel canopy over the city, riveted my attention.

Express highways, flyovers and what not intersecting each other ran above helping to mitigate the traffic problem underneath.

Modern technical wizardry had performed the miracle in the same way ancient wizardry in the Nile basin had helped in spurting some of the tallest buildings in the world ie. the Pyramids as early as 4,000-3,000 BC. I sighed but the sigh was not for the Land of the Pharaohs but for my own country. Already my own capital had begun suffering the pangs of bloating traffic and my sigh was triggered by the conjecture as to when the traffic congestion of the city would get eased by such devices.

Now that signs are appearing as to the onset of this relief it is timely to muse on the ABC of our own modern transport system. Strangely, road traffic seems to have been preceded by rail traffic. The Sinhala newspapers, prime disseminators of information among the masses, were aglow with the news of the Dum Kochchiya or steam coach, arriving in the island. Of course, it was due to agitation not by the proletariat but by what may be termed the"Bourgeoise" that comprised the planters of the upcountry. The cash crop syndrome had begun and delivering the cash crops by oxen-drawn bullock carts was proving cumbersome.

One of the prime results was to make entrepreneurs of the low country who owned fleets of such bullock carts, multi- millionaires. Today they and their descendants have ended up heroes of many a sizzling teledrama, their names emblazoned on screens-mega or mini.

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution of Europe had spawned a network of rail roads in the Euro Continent, with the start given by coal-rich England. Steam power was engendered by coal and steam coaches and rail roads now provided a new iron tapestry in the transport arena. So it was not long before the vociferous planters of our upcountry demanded that the Ceylon Government should import one or two of these steam coaches even in a dismantled form and go on to build the Colombo-Kandy rail road.

These could then act as the transport means from the upcountry to the low country. Colombo terminus would be Maradana.

Better said than done. The picture was not as rosy as it seemed on paper or in the dream world of the White planters. The State met with several obstacles in the task of transferring the project from paper to action. Even the media expected to act as props of the colonial masters who criticised the project as a white elephant.

A rail road in combat with all the treacherous natural obstacles that an upcountry line entails could even drain the treasury. But the State went ahead, in earnest a quality that States then and now own to and have to own. The planters played a major role by forming "the Ceylon Rail Company "that is said to have contributed a Fund of 1,000,000 pounds!

Massive feat

After many ups and downs the rail road was constructed, a massive feat in itself and the first train was expected to run up only to Veyangoda. Actually the English newspaper Examiner reported that the great event of the first train ride was to take place on March 5, 1864 and the news drew crowds but it reported that it will run only up to the Kelani banks and that was natural for the mighty river had to be forded first.

Large crowds had gathered to see the Yakada Yaka come rushing in black fury but to their utter disappointment as recorded in Lak Rivi Kirana no Yaka came into view. From far off places the men, women and children had come and they went back disappointed. No reason was given for this incident and perversely the first steam coach ran on March 7. Here is a summary of the account given by Lak Rivi Kirana.

"The steam coach taking its maiden trip was gaily decorated. At 9 a.m. it commenced journey from Maradana and on "Yakada Balka" (iron rails) it rolled on about one and half miles and came back. It performed this feat several times and it was evident that it was employing its labour to carry earth collected by the rail road.

Actually it assumed the visage of elephant Nalagiri as it went about its task. Before it begins its journey a loud whistle is blown. Then it forges ahead like a monster and emitting a monstrous and deafening sound too. From the mouth of the monster large streaks of smoke are released from time to time.

Large crowds men, women and children had continued feasting eyes on this monster and many were the rumours spread. Some foretold prosperity for the country while others, pessimistic, gloomily prophesied evil. This is just another money spinning machine for the colonial masters, was another verdict by the anti-Imperialists.

Literary energies

It is obvious from these accounts that the endeavours of the first Colombo-Kandy train was to transport material, especially earth, necessary for building the Kelani bridge without which any entry to the uplands was impossible.

The Yakada Yaka just ran between the Kelani bank and Maradana while many a poet and writer expended their literary energies singing odes or heaping curses on her, as the mood matched them. Lak Mini Pahana was the first local newspaper to report the cross-over past the Kelani. It reports that on December 14, 1864 having completed the bridge fording the Kelani river (more or less the gateway to the upcountry terrain), the steam coach ran right up to Pattalagedera (Now Veyangoda). Still a good distance to Kandy, the intended terminus, though the first hurdle was conquered.

Very soon occurred the first accident along this line. Date January 14, 1865. Perhaps a signal for the most horrid train accident in the world at Peraliya of Sri Lanka that killed 3,000 in the tsunami staged in the dawn of the 21st century. This time the place was Gongithota off Ragama. It had been staged by a set of bullock carters, who had already begun to think of this new Devil as a bitter rival to their trading activities.

On that Saturday eve, the train had begun its usual run to Pattalagedera carrying four engineers, an overseer and 128 labourers, unaware that a cart had been placed on the rail road by saboteurs.

It led to toppling the coach resulting in the death of one engineer, Ingram and a large number of labourers exceeding 100."