Central Railway Celebrates 118 Years of Matheran Light Railway with Grand Station Mahotsav

Mumbai: Central Railway organised the Matheran Station Mahotsav on Saturday, December 13, 2025, as part of the Station Mahotsav celebrations directed by the Railway Board. The event showcased the rich heritage and legacy of the Matheran Light Railway, which has completed 118 years of service.

A grand exhibition was set up at the Matheran railway station premises, offering visitors a comprehensive insight into the history and evolution of the heritage railway through physical artefacts and digital displays. The exhibition highlighted the journey of the iconic narrow-gauge railway and its enduring significance.

Key attractions of the exhibition included:

Display of original heritage and existing rolling stock items, including Steam Locomotive 794B, 4-Wheeler Bogie Flat Rail (BFR) wagon, DHR bogie (used specially for narrow-gauge railways), and Matheran Light Railway (MLR) bogie.

A working model of the Barsi light engine.

 Heritage artefacts such as station staff badges from earlier times, belts worn by pointsmen, station hand bell, wooden cash box, measuring scales and weights, signalling lamp, oil cans, water-serving tumblers, and glass negatives.

A virtual reality tour of the Neral–Matheran route, where visitors experienced a **360-degree visual journey using VR Oculus glasses.

Display and sale of memorabilia, including diaries, coffee mugs, T-shirts, and key chains of the Neral–Matheran route as souvenirs.

The exhibition, which remained open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, took visitors on a nostalgic journey and received an encouraging response, attracting over 200 visitors, including passengers, vacationers, tourists, and local residents.

Neral–Matheran Light Railway: History and Development

Construction of the Neral–Matheran Railway began in 1904, and the narrow-gauge line was opened to traffic in 1907. Central Railway operates train services on this scenic route, which winds up the mountains from Neral to Matheran. As a precautionary measure, the line remains closed during the monsoon season. However, shuttle services between Aman Lodge and Matheran, introduced from September 29, 2012, continue to operate even during the monsoons.

At present, Central Railway operates four daily services between Neral–Matheran–Neral and 16 services between Aman Lodge–Matheran–Aman Lodge, of which 12 services run daily, while four special services operate on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) only.

To ensure a safe and comfortable journey, Central Railway has undertaken several infrastructural improvements on the Neral–Matheran section. During November 2025, a total of 38,164 passengers travelled on the Neral–Matheran and Aman Lodge–Matheran lines, generating a revenue of Rs 29.18 lakh for Central Railway.

Central Railway has also introduced newly refurbished coaches with enhanced ambience on these routes. The upgraded coaches feature:

• Exterior painting in a vintage colour scheme
• Wooden-finish false ceiling
• Wooden-finish interior flooring replacing PVC
• New brown rexine leather seats
• Luggage racks in first-class coaches
• Interior panels with a wooden finish

Through these initiatives, Central Railway is promoting Matheran not only as a major tourist destination but also as a location offering the unique experience of observing nature up close while enjoying a memorable ride on the heritage toy train. This initiative aims to enhance the tourist experience while boosting local tourism and generating employment opportunities, thereby contributing significantly to the local economy.