Here is some good news for frequent visitors of Matheran. The central railway recently began trials between Neral and Aman Lodge. Passenger services will start soon on a full stretch from Neral to Matheran.
Currently, the toy train service only runs between Aman Lodge and Matheran.
The service between Neral and Aman Lodge, which has a distance of around 19 km, was suspended in 2019 to repair the track, which was washed out at several locations during the monsoon.
Confirming the development, a senior officer of CR said, "The toy train track between Neral and Aman Lodge is now ready. Trails are one. Passenger services will start soon."
The Neral-Matheran line was built in 1907 as a family enterprise of the Peerbhoys and is now on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) tentative list of World Heritage Sites.
This toy train is one of the major attractions among tourists, especially children, visiting Matheran hill station, located about 100 km from Mumbai City in Raigad district. Apart from carrying passengers, the train helps the locals in ferrying essential items and other things.
Matheran hill station is located at an elevation of around 2,600 feet above sea level. Since the train passes through a ghat (hilly) section having some sharp curves, the railway authorities are also installing new anti-crash barriers at dangerous spots overlooking the deep valley.
