Maharashtra’s Matheran happens to be a popular tourist destination, however, the response of the tourists to the mini train service running between Aman Lodge and Matheran, which started in November 2020, has waned.
In January, 33,000 passengers commuted on the mini trains. Currently, the number has come down to 11,500 in the month of March. The service which was earlier closed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and the subsequent lockdown was resumed for the tourists as tourism in Matheran started increasing.
Moreover, a total of 1,10,702 passengers travelled from Neral to Matheran Mini from November 2020 to March 15, 2021, which led to the railways earning revenue of INR 67 lakhs. The mini-train service is a major tourist attraction in Matheran, and tourists come here to enjoy the journey with their friends and family. Moreover, the mini-train is also affordable in terms of cost compared to other transport facilities.
On the other hand, earlier, the Railway authorities had informed that it might use the technology of a hydrogen fuel cell-based narrow-gauge locomotives in Matheran. According to reports, the Indian Railways is already planning to test a similar technology on the Kalka-Shimla line. Moreover, the railways have also been working to build a hydrogen-powered rail engine that would be able to run a passenger train in the suburban network by the end of next year.
Meanwhile, a senior railway official speaking about the same stated that the expression of interest had been invited for the development of hydrogen fuel cell-based hybrid power for diesel-hydraulic locomotives running on the Kalka-Shimla section.
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