Right royal rail journey

Railways can play a key role in keeping people connected, in more than just the physical sense

The Queen of Jaffna, which ceased regular journeys north from Colombo to Jaffna 24 years ago amid Sri Lanka’s bloody civil war, will roll again this week. Ishara S Kodikara / AFP

Railways have steamed ahead since coal-fired engines with open rolling stock first carried paying passengers through the English countryside in the early 19th century. The heyday of the Orient Express may be over, but even in this age of high-speed services, novelty monorails and maglevs, a certain romance attaches itself to long journeys by rail.

For two centuries, trains have carried freight and connected people over long distances. In far-flung places, the arrival of a train meant mail from family and friends, news of the outside world and essential provisions. While cars, planes and the internet have usurped many of those roles, trains remain an affordable and efficient means of moving people.

So, it's good news that one famous service, The Queen of Jaffna, which ceased regular journeys north from Colombo to Jaffna 24 years ago amid Sri Lanka's bloody civil war, will roll again this week. Restoring the damaged infrastructure has been a huge, expensive project.

Hopefully, the train service will be seen as a symbol of unity between the country’s Sinhalese majority and Tamil minority, and evidence that Sri Lanka is, literally, back on track.