Neral-Matheran toy train to chug again; CM Devendra Fadnavis to inaugurate service on Saturday

Mumbai: The iconic Matheran toy train, a major tourist attraction, which had partially resumed services nearly three months ago, will start chugging on the entire 21-km stretch from Saturday.Services of the 110-year-old toy train, synonymous with the tourist spot located in the Western Ghats in the neighbouring Raigad district, were suspended in May 2016 following two derailments. However, services on the 2.5-km stretch between Aman Lodge and Matheran had resumed on 30 October last year.[caption id="attachment_4183659" align="alignleft" width="380"] File image of the Matheran toy train. Getty Images[/caption]The service on the full stretch will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday.Officials of the Central Railway said that before starting the service, they have put in place a foolproof system for the safety of passengers, including installingcrash barriers, gabion walls and boundary walls. "Tourists as well as locals will be able to enjoy the train ride on the entire corridor from tomorrow," a senior Central Railway official said.The suspension of the toy train service had hit tourists as well as local residents and hotel operators who ferry provisions on it. "As of now, there will be two services only — one in the up direction and another in the down direction," chief spokesperson of the Central Railway, Sunil Udasi, said."We have put in place a foolproof system for the safety of passengers, including installing crash barriers, gabion walls and boundary walls," he added.According to Udasi, for the inaugural run, the train will leave Neral station at 10.30 am and arrive at 2 pm. "But from the next day (27 January), the train will leave Neral at 6.40 am daily and arrive at Matheran at 9.40 am. On its return journey, the train will leave Matheran at 3.30 pm and arrive Neral at 6.30 pm everyday," he said.