A century later, Neral-Matheran railway line to be rebuilt

Workers get concrete sleepers to lay on the track

Nearly three years after it was shut down, the Neral-Matheran line is set to chug again as the Matheran Light Railway is being rebuilt at a cost of Rs 5 crore, after over a century. The railways are using the template of track sleepers used in the Himalayan range of Kalka Shimla Railway for the project.

The two-feet narrow gauge line was built over a century ago in 1907 as a family enterprise of the Peerbhoys and is now in the UNESCO tentative list for Mountain Railways of India.

The railway line was built in 1907

The line had been running intermittently since the turn of the century. It was extensively damaged in monsoon and has been shut since June 2019. However, a small stretch between Aman Lodge and Matheran was restored in December 2019.

"Yes. We are strengthening the line to the modern standards and for the first time re-laying the entire stretch with concrete sleepers," said Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar.

The existing line is of a mix of old iron, steel and wooden sleepers which will now be upgraded with concrete sleepers. The sleepers are specially made at Khurda rail factory in Madhya Pradesh and are being transported to site.

"The line requires about 37,500 concrete sleepers of which around 2,500 have come so far and 35,000 are expected. In addition to sleepers, 800 metres of retaining wall, 1,300 m of gabion walls are being built and approaches are being strengthened," he said, adding that the work is expected to complete in a year or so.

The line has also been nominated for the 2021 UNESCO-Greece Melina Mercouri International Prize. The award is given to outstanding examples of actions to safeguard and enhance the world's cultural landscapes, a category of World Heritage.