15 September,2022 08:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
The small railway stretch between Aman Lodge and Matheran was restored in December 2019. Pic/Nimesh Dave
The Matheran Hill Railway continues to remain one of the most popular tourist train services in Maharashtra, earning over Rs 1 crore and ferrying over 1.54 lakh passengers in just five months.
Stating that Matheran is the nearest and the most popular tourist destination for Mumbaikars, Central Railway (CR) Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar said "CR, with its shuttle services for passengers between Aman Lodge station and Matheran, has been instrumental in popularising this place as a major tourist destination. In addition to providing a comfortable journey to tourists, these services help in cheap and quick transportation of materials for the local population also."
The official added that the mini-train has ferried 1.54 lakh passengers and transported 2,454 quintals of parcels (12,074 packages) to and from Aman Lodge station and Matheran from April to August 2022 as compared to 56,043 passengers and 1,128 quintals of parcels (5,341) in the same period last year.
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The line has been running intermittently since the turn of the century and had been shut since June 2019 after being extensively damaged during the monsoon. A small stretch between Aman Lodge and Matheran was restored in December 2019.
As reported by mid-day in its December 2021 edition, the Matheran Light Railway is being rebuilt all over again and Rs 5 crore has been earmarked for the project, which is expected to be completed soon.
Sutar said, "The large number of passengers has fetched Rs 1.13 crore in revenue from April to August 2022 as compared to Rs 32.86 lakh in the same period in 2021. This includes passenger revenue of Rs 1.12 crore and parcel revenue of Rs 92,254."
According to the official, the passenger and parcel revenue was Rs 32.43 lakh and Rs 43,566 respectively in April-August 2021.
