Central Railway organised the Matheran Station Mahotsav on Saturday, December 13, 2025. This was part of the Station Mahotsav Celebrations as advised by Railway Board.
The Mahotsav showcased the glorious heritage of Matheran Light Railway which has completed 118 years.
A grand exhibition was put up on Matheran station premises on the occasion which featured information and artifacts related to the Heritage Railway, displayed through both physical and virtual mediums giving the visitors an insight about the history and legacy of the Matheran Light Railway.
The exhibition featured:
· Display of Original Heritage and Existing rolling stock items including Steam Loco 794B, 4 Wheeler Bogie Flat Rail(BFR) wagon, DHR bogie (special used for Narrow Guage Railways) & Matheran Light Railway(MLR) bogie.
· Working Model of Barsi light engine
· The other displays included heritage items like: Station Staff badges of olden times, Belts worn by Pointsmen, Station Hand bell, Wooden Cash box, Measuring scales & weights, Signalling lamp, Oil cans, Water serving tumblers, Glass negatives etc.
· Visitors to the exhibition were also taken on a virtual tour of Neral-Matheran with VR Occulus glasses offering a 360 degree visual.
· Memorablia including Diaries, Coffee Mugs, T-Shirts and Key Chains of Neral-Matheran were also on display for sale as a souvenir.
The exhibition, open from 10.00 hrs to 17.00 hrs was a trip down memory lane and received an encouraging response with more than 200 visitors including passengers, vacationers, tourists and local residents
*Neral-Matheran Light Railway-History & Development*
The Neral-Matheran Railway construction started in 1904 and the Narrow gauge line finally opened to traffic in 1907. Central Railway runs train services on the Narrow gauge line winding up the mountains from Neral to Matheran. As a precautionary measure, the line is closed during the monsoons, however, shuttle services between Aman Lodge and Matheran introduced from 29.9.2012, run even during monsoon.
Presently Central Railway runs 4 services daily between Neral-Matheran-Neral and 16 services between Aman Lodge-Matheran-Aman Lodge of which, 12 services run daily & 4 special services run on weekends (Sat & Sun) only.
Central Railway has undertaken several infrastructural works on this section to ensure a safe and comfortable ride to its passengers on Neral – Matheran line.
A total number of 38,164 passengers have travelled by the Neral – Matheran line and Aman Lodge-Matheran line during the month of November-2025, fetching Central Railway a revenue of Rs.29.18 lakhs.
Central Railway has also introduced new refurnished coaches with better ambience on these routes.
The features of these coaches are:
· Exterior painting with Vintage colour scheme
· Interior false ceiling with a wooden finish.
· Interior flooring PVC changed to wooden finish
· New brown coloured Rexine leather seats
· Luggage rakes provided in first class coach.
· Interior panels with wooden finish
Central Railway is popularizing this place not only as a major tourist destination but also as a place which provides the thrill of watching Nature closely along with a memorable ride in the Toy train thus immersing oneself in the serenity of the natural environment of Matheran.
This will not only enhance the overall experience for tourists but also contribute significantly to the local economy by promoting tourism and providing employment opportunities.
