Mumbai: The Matheran toy train, a big draw among holidaymakers from Mumbai seeking the allure of nature, derailed on Sunday.
Authorities were quick to get the train back on the tracks and it was back in service by Monday morning. A few passengers received minor injuries but what would cause alarm among railway officials is the possibility that the train could have been exceeding speed limits on the narrow gauge track since the minimum speed on some sections is 5 km/h while the maximum speed is 20-25 km/h.
The incident, however, has rattled tourists who regularly head to the smallest hill station in the country nestled in the Western Ghats in Raigad district, around 90 km from Mumbai.
The toy train left Matheran at 3.15 pm and a coach derailed near Aman Lodge while heading downhill to Neral at around 3.30 pm. The passengers had a narrow escape. A similar incident occurred in April 2015 when the train derailed and nearly tumbled down the valley. A technical failure was found to have occurred at Jhumapatti station and the train only came to a halt when it hit a buffer close to the edge of a cliff.
The train also derailed in December 2012 after ploughing into some mules and horses travelling in the opposite direction.
On Sunday, there was panic all around when the wheel trolley came out of the base of a bogie possibly due to a mechanical failure resulting in the fourth coach from the engine tilting dangerously and getting derailed. Many frightened passengers jumped out of the small compartments of the train, which is especially popular among children.
According to a senior Central Railway official, a three member team — comprising senior divisional safety officer, division mechanical engineer and civil engineer — has been formed, to carry out a probe and the team has already reached Matheran.
The Central Railway has been trying to get the Matheran toy train on the Unesco world heritage list.
Though the train is back in service, railway passengers feel that there should be meticulous attention to maintenance and upkeep of mountain trains as even the slightest error could lead to catastrophic incidents.
The Matheran Hill Railway is a two-foot narrow gauge heritage railway that comes under the administration of the Central Railway. The train operates through a hilly stretch with dense forest cover to Matheran, perhaps the only hill station where no motor vehicles are allowed. It takes around 2 hours 20 minutes to cover the 21-km distance giving ample opportunity for passengers to enjoy the panoramic views.
