07 November,2020 07:44 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B Aklekar
A train leaves Matheran station on Friday
The narrow gauge Matheran Hill Railway train has been getting a good response in the past two days since its opening for the first time since the lockdown.
As per the latest available statistics, on the first day of the launch, November 4, about 79 tickets were sold - 36 from Aman Lodge to Matheran with a revenue of Rs 1,545, and 43 from Matheran to Aman Lodge with a revenue of Rs 1,890. On the second day, about 59 tickets were booked from Aman Lodge to Matheran with a revenue of Rs 2205 and 70 tickets were booked from Matheran to Aman Lodge with earnings worth R3,120. On the third day, November 6, the number of tickets booked between Aman Lodge and Matheran was 81, earning Rs 3,630 and from Matheran to Aman Lodge there were 114 passengers, bringing in a revenue of Rs 1,650. "So in the past three days about 394 passengers were ferried, bringing in a revenue of Rs 14,040, which is a good sign," a senior official said. Railway officials said that during the complete lockdown too, they had made two attempts to revive the train service, but there was not much response to it and very little patronage.
As of now four services are being run on the 18-minute-long journey with three second class, one first class, and two luggage vans with limited passengers, COVID-19 safety norms and medical SOPs in place during the boarding, travel and at the destination.
The Matheran Municipal Council had requested that the mini-train shuttle service between Dasturi Naka and Matheran town be resumed as horses and hand rickshaws are the only means of transport there. Following this, the Maharashtra government had granted permission for the operation of mini-train shuttle services between Aman Lodge, (Dasturi Naka) and Matheran town only and issued directives to the Central Railway, which sought permission of the railway board at New Delhi, and the approvals came on Monday.
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