Travel News, March, 2007

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Neral-Matheran toy train resumes
by Sushil Pareek

          Mumbai: The popular toy train in Maharashtra has resumed service. It was stopped two years ago when floods washed away the tracks. Called Neral-Matheran, it runs on the 21-kilometer tracks laid by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, India's first railway company, today known as Central Railways. Rupees three crore have been spent to restore the railway lines. Now two daily trains are operational for the to and fro journey from Neral to Matheran. Matheran, a hill-station about 80 kilometres east of Mumbai, is a popular weekend getaway for the urban residents. It is connected to Neral, which lies at the base of the hills through the toy train. Railway officials are hopeful that the popular train service would see a spurt in tourism."The suspension of the train service was very disappointing for the tourists. The train used to be a craze for the people coming here, specially children. The tourist inflow also got affected due to that. As the train has resumed, the tourists will also start pouring in and it will improve the economy of Matheran," said Anil Kumar Srivastava, station manager, Matheran.Situated on a hilltop at an altitude of 800 meter Matheran has an unusual fascination for people of all age groups, especially for those who wish to visit a pollution-free place. It's 6.5 kilometres from Neral (the base station). By rail it's about 20-kilometre journey. Matheran's cliffs with incredible heights create stunning points. The atmosphere here is pure and fresh because no motor vehicles are permitted into the town.

          Meanwhile, the passengers, belonging to all age groups, are agog with the toy train resuming service. "I am going to Matheran...I am feeling good. Though train is a bit slow but it's nice," said Kushal Joshi, a student. "The seats are comfortable. I heard about this train from my friends. They told me the train is small but after getting into the train I am really enjoying it," said Priyanka. The railways is making efforts to get the toy train enlisted into the list of UNESCO's world heritage listing.
-March 13,  2007