Matheran toy train service to get back on track on Friday

Matheran’s famous heritage toy train will get back on track again, as the Central Railway announced that it will resume shuttle services between Aman Lodge and Matheran stations from Friday onwards, a railway official said on Thursday.

The Central Railway had suspended the narrow-gauge train service from August 9, 2019, after the tracks got severely damaged during monsoon.

The zonal railway announced the resumption of shuttle services after getting a safety nod for running trains between Aman Lodge and Matheran, following successful trials in the last two days, the official said.

The shuttle services on the 3-km stretch will be operated between 8.15 am to 5.55 pm, he added.

“The first service will depart from

Matheran at 8.15 am, while the last run will be from Aman Lodge at 5.35 pm,” he said.

While eight services will be operated during weekdays, the CR will ply 10 services on weekends, the official said.

The toy train is a major attraction for tourists who throng the hill station situated just 100 km from Mumbai.

Operational since 1907, the NeralMatheran Toy train was included in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) tentative list of world heritage sites in 2003.

After two back-to-back derailments in May 2016, the railways spent Rs 6 crore for several safety works on the line, during which the services were discontinued for almost 20 months.