Mumbai, Maharashtra (November 7, 2024): The Matheran hill railway, fondly known as the “Queen of Matheran,” resumed its service on Wednesday after a five-month hiatus due to the monsoon season. The first train of the season departed from Nerul station at 8:25 a.m. carrying 111 passengers.
The toy train service, which connects Nerul to Matheran, is a popular tourist attraction but is suspended during the monsoon to ensure passenger safety. This year, the service was delayed due to maintenance work.
The first train of the season departed Nerul at 8:25 a.m. and reached Matheran at 11:35 a.m., to the cheers of passengers. A total of 90 adults and 21 children were aboard the inaugural trip. It operates twice daily between Monday and Friday, with additional services on weekends to accommodate tourists.
The train, which operates with six coaches—including one first-class and four second-class—carries an average of 600 to 700 passengers daily. Passengers can purchase tickets for either class, with affordable rates offered for the scenic journey.
"We are very excited to be taking this train ride. We didn't know the service had resumed, but we're glad we found out," said Sapna Jain, a tourist from Airoli.
Gurunath Patil, the station manager at Nerul, said that the railway tracks had been damaged due to heavy rainfall and required extensive repairs. "We have repaired the tracks, and we will now be operating two trips daily," he said.