Matheran toy train finally begins to run on 21-km stretch to Neral from today

Matheran toy train

The iconic Matheran toy train, which had partially resumed services nearly three months back, will start chugging on the entire 21-km stretch from today. Services of the 110-year-old toy train were suspended in May 2016, following two derailments. However, services on the 2.5-km stretch between Aman Lodge and Matheran had resumed on October 30, last year.

The service on the full stretch will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Central Railway (CR) officials said that before starting the service, they put in place a foolproof system for passenger safety. "As of now, there will be two services only - one in either direction," said Sunil Udasi, chief spokesperson for CR. He added, "We have put in place a foolproof system for the safety of passengers, including 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 January 27, 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," he said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, current affairs from Mumbai, local news, crime news and breaking headlines here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go