The tourist footfalls in Matheran have increased three times during April to August this year, as compared to the same period in 2021, fetching Rs 1.13 crore revenue. The Central Railway, which operates the popular toy service between Aman Lodge and Matheran, has ferried 1.54 lakh passengers during April to August this year while the same figure stood at 56,043 in 2021.
Elated over the growing number of tourists, CR chief PRO Shivaji Sutar underscored the railway's “instrumental role” in popularising Matheran as a major tourist destination. To attract more visitors, the CR is rapidly upgrading the railway track between Neral and Aman. The work is likely to be completed by October end, after which the toy train services will resume on full stretch.
“Between Aman Lodge and Matheran, the CR has ferried 1.54 lakh passengers and transported 2,454 quintals of parcel from April to August, 2022 as compared to 56,043 passengers ferried and 1,128 quintals of parcels transported during the same period in 2021,” said a senior rail official.
This has resulted in fetching revenue of Rs 1.13 crore from April to August, while the CR earned Rs 32.86 lakh in the said period last year. Giving the revenue bifurcation, rail officials told that the passenger revenue stood at Rs 1.12 crore and parcel revenue at Rs 92,254. Last year, Rs 32.43 lakh was earned as passenger revenue while Rs 43,566 accrued as parcel revenue.
Other tourism stakeholders like private transporters and chikki sellers also expressed happiness over growing business as the livelihoods had fallen flat due to Covid. “Matheran is coming back to normal business after lockdown. Since the past few months, the numbers of tourists have started increasing. Like pre-Covid era, this Independence day which was preceded by the weekend saw more than 16,000 tourists,” said Shramik Rickshaw Sanghatna secretary Sunil Shinde.
Matheran municipal council ex-chairman Manoj Khedekar said, “Chahal-Pahal or hustle and bustle is back to Matheran as it was before the Covid outbreak. Consequently, the economy of this tourist destination is fully back on track, which was derailed during Covid.”
Similarly, Vineeta Gupta, partner of more than seven-decade-old Nariman Chikki Mart of Matheran, said “Now we are enjoying our business like 2018-2019. The numbers of tourists have drastically increased in the recent past.”
