In a major relief of sorts for people of the popular hill station of Matheran in Maharashtra, the toy train is being used to supply essential goods to the locals.
Located 108 km away from downtown Mumbai and 120 km away from Pune - and at a height of 2,570 feet – in the Karjat tehsil of Raigad district, it is the smallest hill station of India.
The 113-year-old narrow-gauge Neral-Matheran Railway (MHR), that is run by the Central Railway (CR), is a major tourist attraction in the automobile-free hill station.
From last week, the CR is running the train between the two stations of Matheran and Neral.
The 6,500-odd residents in the hill town are currently dependent on about 460 horses and a few hand carts for essential supplies.
But, now with the running of the mini train, Matheran, which means "forest on the forehead" is an eco-sensitive region and is Asia's only automobile free hill station.
One can do a lot of things here – walk, trek, do some mountaineering and rock climbing, valley crossing, night trails, bird watching and so on.
The mini-train covers a distance of 21 km cutting a swathe through forest and connecting Neral to Matheran in the Western Ghats.
The 2.5 km stretch between Matheran and Aman Lodge on the hill is one of the most popular stretch.