Mumbai: Toy train to roll again at SGNP

A minimum of 20 passengers is required for the train departure. File pic

By the end of this year, if all goes as planned, tourists visiting Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) will have the opportunity to once again enjoy the toy train ride inside the park. To facilitate this, SGNP authorities are investing Rs 43 crore. The mini toy train at SGNP suffered damage during cyclone Tauktae in May 2021 and has remained non-operational since then.

A forest department official said, "Around Rs 43 crore will be spent on the purchase of the toy train and the civil work related to the same. The toy train services might resume at the end of this year, and we are expecting an increase in the number of tourists visiting the park when the toy train starts."

The toy train services in SGNP had started in the year 1970, and the train used to run on a diesel engine. The new toy train will be battery-operated. The three-bogey train that used to run on a 2.7 km stretch was always a hit among children. It may be noted that around 70 to 80 people travel in the three coaches of the toy train, and the services will help in giving a boost to the revenue generation of SGNP.

The work of laying new tracks, new stations, and other related works will be done by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES). It's not only people staying in and around Mumbai who visit SGNP; tourists from other states and foreigners also visit the park. It is one of the most visited national parks within city limits in the whole of Asia. The toy train route travels across an area of SGNP known as the Krishnagiri Upavan.

This is an area of approximately 5.5 sq km, reserved as an easily accessible public recreation zone inside the park. The remaining core area has restricted access. Among the several attractions of the Krishnagiri Upavan is a mini-zoo, where visitors can view animals up close. The narrow-gauge toy train travels around the tourist zone, showcasing parts of the rich biodiversity on display. When the toy train is operational, it operates in the morning every 30 minutes from 9 am to 12 pm. In the afternoon, it follows the same frequency from 1.30 pm to 5.30 pm. A minimum of 20 passengers is required for the train departure.

Rs 43cr
Expense to purchase toy train