Sri Lanka Railways Forum

It travels through the mountains slowly like a snake, but roaring as if the sound of the engine and the horn notifying the people a train is on the way in this single track leading to the central mountains of Sri Lanka.

But this train is very different from others. It’s not an ordinary passenger train running from Colombo to Badulla (the end of the railway on the central hills). It is designed to cater to a group of people looking for joy in railway travel away from the often crowded trains. Travelling by the Hitachi train will no doubt be a good opportunity for local travellers, as it is becoming increasingly popular.

At rest after a long, luxurious journey

When we travel around the world, not only the places we visit but the mode of transport is also important. Introduced to Sri Lanka half a century ago, Hitachi was first patronised by to foreigners visiting the island.

The train is fully air conditioned with rotating seats. The train was a gift from Germany to Sri Lanka in the sixties.The 50- year- old train is now fully owned by the Ceylon Government Railway (CGR) and is mostly operated through a tour agency. The cost of travelling in this train will depend on the journey.Seats can be reserved by way of railway warrants.Locals can now make use of this rail facility.

The train has two sets of four engines. One set can accommodate about hundred passengers while the other caters to sixty passengers. It has a small kitchen, dining room and bathrooms. About ten staffers travel on the train for the convenience of passengers.

The train was initially powered by steam engines before it commenced running on diesel. Now the authorities plan to use electricity to operate the train, a guard said.

This train runs from Colombo to Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Badulla. Suburban services are more profitable, he added.

When I was inside the engine room I saw, drivers using both the tablet system and colour light system. During its journey from Colombo to Badulla, the colour light system is used from Colombo to Rambukkana while the tablet system is used from Rambukkana to Badulla.

This particular system prevents two trains running from opposite directions, which in turn helps to avert collisions. The Head guard and his deputy are available to answer questions about the tour. With well experienced drivers, you can even get a chance to learn how the engine works.

While travelling, if anyone is interested they can enjoy a ride in the engine driver’s cabin which would certainly be a memorable experience.

By Chanuka Mannapperuma

Source: Sunday Observer

Tags: central mountains, ceylon, cgr, colombo, colour light signals, foreigners, hitachi, luxurious journey, luxury train, old train, passenger train, polonnaruwa, railway travel, steam engines, suburban services, warrants

                            

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