The toy train service between Matheran and Aman Lodge may resume this weekend, as the Central Railway (CR) on Wednesday conducted a trial run on the section with an empty rake.
Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, CR, said they will conduct trials in the coming days and if they were successful, they would start shuttle services between Aman Lodge and Matheran.
During monsoon this year, the tracks were washed away at 21 locations on the route between Neral and Matheran, leading to the toy train services being suspended. One engine and a few coaches were stranded at Matheran station during the rainy season.
The narrow gauge light railway line was built in 1907 and has been hit by several derailments in the past.
The trial run was conducted with two engines and seven coaches. CR officials said they will be able to run limited services if the trials are successful. They are aiming to start operations on the entire section from Neral before the next monsoon.
The section between Neral and Matheran has been on the UNESCO’s tentative list of Mountain Railways of India. The line was completely restored in early 2019, but was thrown out of gear after the heavy rainfall in the region received this year.
According to CR officials, the funding to create a few permanent solutions has been sanctioned. “We need to strengthen the base of the tracks to ensure it does not get washed away next monsoon,” an official said.
