| Matheran Hill Railway | |
|---|---|
| Locale | India |
| Commercial operations | |
| Original gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Preserved gauge | 2 ft (610 mm) |
| Commercial history | |
| Preservation history | |
Matheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in Maharashtra, India. It was built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy, financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of the Adamjee Group at the cost of Rs.16,00,000.[1] Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy visited Matheran often and wanted to build a railway to make it easier to get there.
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Hussain's plans for the Matheran Hill Railway were formulated in 1900 and construction started in 1904. Consulting engineer was Everard Calthrop of Barsi Light Railway fame. The line was open to traffic by 1907.
Neral, the starting point, is about midway between Mumbai and Pune. The railway covers a distance of 20 km (12.43 mi), over large swathes of forest territory connecting Neral to Matheran in the Western Ghats hills near Karjat and Mumbai.
Originally, the tracks were laid with 30 lb/yd (14.9 kg/m) rails but now has 42 lb/yd (20.8 kg/m) rails. Ruling gradient is 1:20 (5%) with tight curves and speeds are limited to 20 km/h (12.4 mph). The line was generally closed in the monsoons because of the danger of landslides. Starting in the 1980s, the line was kept open often even in the rainy season.
The railway was closed by flood damage during 2005 and was not expected to re-open before April 2007.[2] Contrary to those expectations, the first run on the repaired railway was on 5 March 2007.[3]
The line observed its centenary on April 15th, 2007.
The railways comes under the administration of the Central Railways and is being promoted as a future World Heritage Site.
As per the latest information(Oct 2011): this Rail Road is closed for 4 months during Monsoon .. atleast in 2011 it was closed from July to October. So if you are planning to take a train ride during these 4 months, its better to call up some hotel in Matheran and check.
The 2 ft (610 mm) NG line runs parallel to the BG line to the west of Hardal Hill and then turns east to ascend to Matheran. The rail alignment and the roadway meet near Jumappati and meet again, after a brief separation, at Bhekra Khud. Following a small level stretch, there is a sharp ascent just before Mount Barry. A large horseshoe embankment was built to avoid a reversing station here. The line runs for a mile or so northwards around this and then turns around to take the 'One Kiss Tunnel' (a reference to how short it is!) through the embankment. Two more zig-zags through deep cuttings remain before Panorama Point is reached, and then the line bends back to Simpson's Tank and terminates at Matheran.
Neral also has a 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) (Indian gauge) station which is on the busy Mumbai-Pune route.
Consulting engineer Everard Calthrop designed a 0-6-0T with Klein-Linder articulated coupled axles to provide a flexible wheelbase, and four were supplied by Orenstein & Koppel.
| MHR No. | ISR No. | Builder | Builders No. | Date | Current Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 738 | O & K | 1766 | 1905 | Mumbai |
| 2 | 739 | O & K | 2342 | 1907 | Delhi |
| 3 | 740 | O & K | 2343 | 1907 | Statfold Barn Railway |
| 4 | 741 | O & K | 1767 | 1905 | Matheran |
A 'B' class loco #794 from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was transferred to the Neral-Matheran line in 2001 to test the feasibility of steam excursions.
| ISR No. | Class | Builder | Builders No. | Date | Current Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | NDM1 | Jung | 12108 | 1956 | Not Known | From Kalka Shimla Railway |
| 501 | NDM1 | Jung | 12109 | 1956 | In Service | Originally No.750 |
| 502 | NDM1 | Jung | 12110 | 1956 | Not Known | Originally No.751 |
| 503 | NDM1 | Jung | 12111 | 1956 | Dismantled | Originally No.752 |
| 504 | NDM1 | Jung | 12105 | 1956 | Not Known | From Kalka Shimla Railway |
| 505 | NDM1 | Jung | 12107 | 1956 | Dismantled | From Kalka Shimla Railway |
| 505 | NDM1 | Jung | 12107 | 1956 | Not Known | From Kalka Shimla Railway |
| 600 | NDM6 | ? | ? | ? | In Service | visible in Railworld photos |
Currently Class NDM1 and NDM6 locomotives are in use.