The grubby waters were gushing into the narrow drains. Pipes were cracked and blackish. They were too old. Time for new ones to come. The steaming hot rays wetted my t -shirt. I walked fast to climb up the bridge to cross the other side of the road. The aluminum like metal sheets that were fastened to some rusty wooden planks underneath were shaking. Far away stood some buildings that looked very colonial with huge windows and pillars. They hark back to the Dutch and British eras. On the other side would be the red and white Cargill’s and Miller department store. It wasn’t visible this time though. Some were blackened. Pettah is old. Even older than it was. But is elegant and historical. Captivating!
Climbing down the stairs I entered the Fort Station with Thilina. I was only 5 or 6 years old when I made a few trips by train to see aththamma in Meerigama. It was hard for me to discover any changes in side the station .Thilina knew the way around. He is a usual visitor to the Fort Station.
I met Ferguson and a few old people. Some old trains too. They were black and white. I brushed my fingers against them. I switched eyes from one to another slowly. There’s some history deep down.
Its old footprints are found in front of the Technical College which is next to The Department of Railways today. It’s gone wild now. There’s tall grass rooted around that little compound which resembles a small house .This had been built in 1864, which ran a train upto Ambepussa for the first time in SriLanka’s rail history .There are no trains running here any longer. Rather it is transformed into a museum. Commonly known as “Fort Museum “, hardly visited by people. Some doesn’t know. No wonder! It’s not popular either.
The current white building facing the Budu Medura is the 3rd station to be known as Fort .This has been built somewhere around 1913 which was used to store rice and other dry rations during the plague of 1914, when world war hit globally. The Fort Station we see today has been officially opened around 1917. Railway enthusiasts call it Fort 3, Mr. Vinod added. The very first Fort Station has been opened on the Coast Line in late 1870’s, exactly where the Secretariat Halt stands now. This has lasted for like five years and later been switched to a station behind what is now Lake House. They say that the station which was built where the Lake House is today was used until Fort 3, or the current Fort station was ready for functioning. So, once Fort 3 came into operation, the Fort 2 has been used as a Railway Store. But subsequently, this dirty and dilapidated building was used as the Employment Exchange (EE). I was further explained. The EE was connected to the Labor Department, he said. The Employment Exchange was there in existence until late 1960’s.
However EE has been abandoned in later years. It became free for all, for all kind of dubious activity. One could hear stories about drugs, prostitution and other violent activities inside the EE.
But what’s more important is that, the current station is not in Colombo Fort we know today. It is in Colombo 11, known as Pettah.
A few pictures on the wall inside the office revealed something interesting. The Beira Lake earlier extended over the entire extent of the railway track that now leads to Maradana from Pettah. It was later filled to construct the track. Ever growing passenger needs have dictated that a larger station was needed, and thus they came up with the current station while the very first station and the Colombo terminus halted their function forever.
The day to day activities in Fort hasn’t changed much for about 50 years! The only changes made , for the last 25 years have been the office equipment and communication improvements .
You may have noticed how at every station, as a train approaches it the station master in his full uniform including the cap, is ready to receive the train. The engine driver has an instrument to hand over to the station master and in turn collects one from him. This is called a 'Tablet' which was introduced as an instrument to ensure the safe operation of trains on single lines as speeds and frequencies increased.
The tablet gives the authority for the engine driver to proceed to the next station. He hands over the tablet at the next station to indicate that he had the authority to pass the previous section. The station master gives the tablet only after ensuring by telephoning the next station master that the line is clear for the train to precede. This happens in single line trains only.
In the early days the signals were operated manually from high level booths built for the purpose. These booths were situated in between stations with telephone facilities to indicate the movement of trains. Colour Light Signalling and Centralized Traffic Control were started in 1959. The railway telecommunication system has been modernized by the introduction of VHF/UHF radio telecommunication facility between stations and control offices.
One can take train journeys through call reservations now. Things are easy. Mobiles are even upgraded with e – ticketing facilities. For Dialog users, a call to 444 will help to take the next train. The Mobitel users are also provided with this facility. No hassle in queues anymore. Something to be happy about!
“With the new transport Hub construction happening in Pettah, the station will be demolished to make way for a station hotel. Shopping malls will come up too. Only the facade will remain for historic importance” One of the work men who met with us randomly said this.
Remnants of the colonial era will be gone soon.
Letting go should be preferred. We are born into a world of constant change. In the process of decay, new things are necessary. I think that.
1890’s were significant years for the Fort Station. Mr. Chandrasoma, the Chief Superintendent divulged with much regret the things about all sorts of strikes and protest campaigns that happened those days.
“In 1893 the top public servants working at Fort have attempted to go on a strike, which became a failure due to lack of proper organizing. However things haven’t stopped there. There had been continuous mobs by Colombo laundry workers’ and even by the cart drivers which at least won a few rights. Followed by these, in 1910 for the first time the coal workers in Dematagoda have led a sudden strike, just for one day and had been a failure again.
Developments in economy and the rising needs resulted in many conflicts among public servants after 1910. Even when tea and rubber exports brought money in, the working class wasn’t benefited, at least in terms of salary. “Kamkaru panthiya” (working class) was disturbed by the non payments of salary. . Workers weren’t paid their bonuses, no extra payments were made for working on Saturday and Sunday and sometimes retired workers had to forego their pensions. On the one hand there was too much work. On the other workers have been dismissed for no reason. These led to humungous riots.”
He remembered of a bomb that was exploded in 1984 while he was on duty.
“Probably it was the climax of a strike, luckily nobody got injured. Sadly every hunger strike and protest campaign takes place outside the Fort Station obstructing its functions, even today. Sometime back in 2006 I was a part of a tear gas attack “
He reminded of a woman who died in the dead night during her journey in the night mail, from Colombo to Hatton.
“It took so much of effort to buy her a seat. She was too late. Already a train had left to Hatton. There was no train to come. The last was a night mail. No one can buy seats for a night mail just by paying money. The Station Master should offer his permission with a little document. I somehow got that for her. I was supposed to inform the Hatton Station that this particular passenger is arriving in a night mail. Early next morning I got a call. I was shocked to hear, the woman had died! They suspected of a criminal activity. I still wonder in least had I supported such activity.”
Until 1892 trains have only functioned during the day. The mails were carried by passenger trains in day time. For the first time night mails were introduced by Fort station in 1892, March 14th. Many Tamils have been working in Fort Station in 1960’s and thus so many night mails made their journeys to Kankasanthurai, to drop and pick Jaffna Tamils who were on duty at Colombo Fort.
Back then the Fort Station was used to transport all sorts of milk products, thal hakuru and thal pani from Jaffna, flowers, plant varieties and even vegetables from NuwaraEliya, which were brought down to Manning Market. There were no passenger carriages at all. Fort was busy carrying parcels and goods from place to place.
Today one would hardly see parcel counters at Fort. Fort is the central business district. All levels and strata of society converge here to go to their offices and business places. People even make holiday tours now.
One of those hardly remembered days was the Easter Sunday Japanese Air Raid. The Japanese attack had begun at 07:30 on Easter Sunday morning. Air defense of Colombo Fort and harbor have been provided by the 3rd Searchlight/Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment,Ceylon Garrison Artillery with two batteries based at Galle Face green and Mutwal. This was an air attack carried against SriLanka by the Japanese, on the 5th April 1942, during World War 2. The targets were British warships, harbour installations, and air bases; the object was to disrupt the war effort of British Commonwealth nations and force the British Eastern Fleet to leave Asian waters. They say that this was a time when Fort was hive of activity and there were no trains.
A train station is interesting. I like to think like that. They know stories of every kicked –out gut. Of all things like risk and adventure, love giving and love taking, connection and divergence.
( Featured in the FINE section in " The Nation" on 8th June 2014)
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