Mumbai: A year after the century-old toy train connecting Neral to Matheran was discontinued due to derailments, the Central Railway (CR) on Monday restarted the service with a revised time table and new fares.
According to CR officials, the first train was flagged off from Aman Lodge station at 10.10 a.m. on Monday. They said some problems persist between Neral and Aman Lodge, and people will have to reach Aman Lodge by road to take the train. “Area residents were visibly excited and were bursting firecrackers at the station as they gathered to witness the inaugural run. All seats were booked within 20 minutes after bookings opened,” A.K. Singh, senior PRO, CR, said.
He said the toy train will ply 12 times a day, except on Wednesdays and Thursdays, when 11 services will be available. The train will have three second class coaches, one first class coach and two coaches each for general category passengers and guards. A first class ticket will cost ₹300 for adults and ₹180 for children, while second class fare will be ₹45 for adults and ₹30 for children.
The CR has re-engineered the train’s braking system, and the toy train has new air brakes which ensure quicker halts. The British-era narrow gauge mini train used to run on the 21-km stretch between Neral to Matheran via Aman lodge. It was discontinued after two consecutive derailments between Neral and Matheran last year. The resumed service is only for a three-km stretch between Aman Lodge and Matheran, while the tracks between Neral and Aman Lodge are still under maintenance. Mr. Singh said there is no specific deadline for completing maintenance work.
“The track is narrow gauge and because of the challenging terrain, the equipment required to ensure a safe commute is difficult to find,” he said. “Resuming services between Aman Lodge and Matheran was our priority, as the roads get challenging from there on. Cars and other vehicles cannot be taken beyond Aman Lodge, and in the absence of trains, tourists were being fleeced by horse ride operators.”
