Toy trains to chug again in Pune gardens

This summer, children are up for a treat as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to begin operation of the toy trains in five gardens city

This summer, children are up for a treat as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to begin operation of the toy trains in five gardens city. The toy trains in the city were shut for two years due to the pandemic.

A toy train at Katraj gathers dust after being shut for two years due to the pandemic. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

The toy train – the very first called ‘Fulrani’ was introduced in the city in 1963 at Peshwe park, Sarasbaug – will soon be running with the garden department requesting the motor vehicles department to begin the tender process for maintenance of these toy trains. Besides this toy train, toy trains at Nanasaheb Peshwe talav, Katraj; Shivaji udyan, Wadgaonsheri; Bhairavsinh Ghorpade udyan, Ghorpadi peth; and the newly inaugurated toy train at Jawalkar udyan, Karvenagar; will soon be operational.

“We have been running the toy trains quite successfully and they are a major attraction for children when they visit the park, but we had to shut them down during Covid. Now we have given a letter to the motor vehicles department to restart them at the earliest,” said Ashok Ghorpode, head of the garden department of the PMC.

Confirming the letter from the garden department, Itendra Kurane, executive engineer, motor vehicles department, said, “The trains have always been well maintained and in the best shape but during these two years of the pandemic, they have been kept in loco sheds in gardens. We will soon begin the tender process for the maintenance and upkeep of these toy trains, following the letter. Usually around Rs10 lakh is needed for the maintenance of toy trains.”

Meanwhile, Pune mayor Murlidhar Mohol proposed the monorail toy train at Tatyasaheb Thorat garden in Kothrud at a cost of ₹5.47 crore.