THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Fancy riding in a chugging toy train? The engine sports a maroon red hue while a blend of white and green cloaks the coaches. As the train trundles into the station, it will spew steam giving you the unmistakable cry of a steam engine.
Soon you will get to settle into a mini train modelled in the form of a steam engine and enjoy a joy ride as it meanders through lush green patches, a tunnel and pass by the lakeside, thereby offering a day out like no other in Veli.
All these will happen in the city when the 'Veli Miniature Railway' gets going. The toy train is one component of the development project being executed by the Tourism Department at the Veli Tourist Village.
Even as the entertainment hub project is lagging behind, the toy train project executed by the department is slated to be a reality in six months.
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The work on the Rs 9-crore project adopting eco-friendly features is moving ahead at a good pace at Veli. The railway station is envisioned near the KTDC restaurant and the two-foot (600mm) narrow gauge railway line covers a distance of 1.5 kilometres. The running time is about 20 minutes.
The journey includes one stop after Pozhikkara, where the train halts for a few minutes, before continuing its journey. The train system and design are modelled on the British railway system.
The groundwork of the mini railway system is currently underway. The rails from Bhilai are in transit and they will be installed in a few weeks.
“It is going to be a one-of-its-kind recreational activity, unlike anything you will find in Kerala. The thought was to offer something new to the children, instead of the usual recreational activities provided in the city. Thus, the toy train came about and it is the first time in the state that such a facility is being set up,” says a top tourism official.
The train can be used by all age groups. The train system will be replete with a railway station, a signal system, railway gates, boom barriers, level crossings, a maintenance shed and so forth.
As many as 15 trips are being planned per day. A total of 48 persons can be accommodated at a time in the train which will have three coaches.
The seating is arranged as coupés and four coupés will be accommodated in each coach. Each coupé can accommodate four people. Two loco-pilots who are also double up as guards will be on the train. Although the maximum speed is 15kmph, the train will run at less than 10kmph.