Royalists, young and old follow their traditions with utmost pride and tremendous passion. The Bradby Express 2012 in celebration of the Annual Bradby Shield Encounter, an annual journey to the hill capital is one full of colour, laughter and enormous joy to all Royalists.

An adventure that all Royalists impatiently look forward to is taking place for the third consecutive year on 30 June 2012.

The Bradby Express, a tradition preserved and enjoyed by many, was inevitably brought to halt in the mid 1980’s due to the emerging state of civil war that prevailed in the country. The security concerns crumbled the joy of this epic journey through the hills forcing Bradby revellers of today to seek other means of private transport in the Colombo - Kandy route in a sea of blue and gold.

And yet; after decades of continuous violence, peace descended on our island again paving way for old traditions to come back to life.

In 2008, the Royal College Prefects Council of 2007/2008 (Group of 2007) took up the challenge by proposing to restart Bradby Express by means of a special train which would provide the return trip to Colombo as well. After progressing to the latter stage of booking the train for the journey, the College authorities vetoed on the proposal due to security concerns that arose in the final phase of the war.

However, during the 2009 AGM of Royal College Group of 2007 decided to proceed with their initial proposal of reawakening the tradition of the Bradby Express.

The dedicated, energetic young group of 2007 along with the guidance by the College Principal Mr. Upali Gunasekara and the Royal College Union, their efforts ultimately paid off when their vision of restoring the ritual resulted in the commencement of the first ever Bradby Train after more than two decades of its old grandeur.

It facilitated more than 900 passengers including VIPs to witness the Kandy leg of Bradby in 2010. The reincarnation of this undying tradition restored and rekindled the hearts of old and young Royalists bringing the true spirit of Bradby to life.

Life Online interviewed Akbo Rupasinghe, the Deputy Head Prefect of the Royal College Prefects Council of 2007/2008 and a key player in initiating the Bradby Express; he shared his views on the new features that mirror the changes in time the journey has encountered over the years.

Over the past two years, the organizing committees have worked tirelessly to preserve the traditions of the Bradby Express while providing the best passenger care for all travellers. The train also features VIP compartments situated in the observation coach of the train that promises to showcase the breathtaking views of Sri Lanka’s natural heritage, Papare bands for the young and the young at heart to celebrate to their heart's content, an exclusive cabin for teachers, special compartments for old boys to revive their college memories and a compartment for the Prefects Council as well.

In an exciting new addition to this experience, the Kandy leg of Bradby will not be held at its usual venue of the Bogambara Stadium adjacent to the Kandy railway station but at the Trinity College home grounds at the picturesque Pallekele stadium which is close to 20 km away from the Kandy city centre. Nevertheless, the organizers defied the challenge by arranging a special shuttle service for passengers to Pallekele grounds where a return journey to the railway station will be provided free of charge.

It was apparent that each organizing committee had shed their blood and tears to make this project a continuous success. The challenges and hardships encountered were met with nothing short of dedication, hard work and an unyielding passion for their alma mater. The organizing committee comprises an immeasurable number of Royalists from all spheres of life coming together to make this dream, a reality.

The Bradby Express 2012 will commence its journey on 30 June 2012, restoring its age-old traditions and forging memories to last a life time and beyond.

By Heshani Jayawickrama