Electric locomotive to pull ‘Vanbala’ by year end
   Date :25-Apr-2024

Vanbala 
 
 
 
By Kaushik Bhattacharya
 
 
The iconic toy train — ‘Vanbala’, the pride of ‘Balodyan’ and source of entertainment for the young visitors to Seminary Hills territorial forest will get a electric locomotive by the year end. The Forest Department is set to take up the proposal to purchase new locomotive in the upcoming District Planning Development Council (DPDC) meeting. After 2016, the toy train again started chugging at Balodyan in December last. The Forest Department planned to restart it in 2019, but the plan fizzled out due to Covid-19. Even before that, it used to run intermittently due to technical issues. However, the Forest Department is determined to continue the service of the iconic train for long time in the service of the visitors to ‘Balodyan’. “We have shared the plan with the District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar who too has shown keenness. The plan is likely to be taken up in the DPDC meeting,” Dr Bharat Singh Hada, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Nagpur, told ‘The Hitavada’.
 
“For this, we require expertise and help from the Central Railway for purchase and install of the new electric locomotive in the 1.8 km route. Therefore, we are in contact with the Central Railway. A decision will be made during the upcoming DPDC meeting,” added Dr Hada. Currently, the diesel locomotive which pulls ‘Vanbala’ has aged. Yet, it is in good condition and powerful. Despite this, the Department is planning to transform ‘Vanbala’ with an electric locomotive, so as to make it take the visitors to a memorable journey during night time also. “Running the train during night time is just under planning stage. We have to electrify the whole route and decorate the route with lights to entertain young riders,” said Dr Hada.
 
“Vanbala is the main attraction at Balodyan. We are working on to decorate the whole route with greenery, statues of tiger and wild animals, information about the flora and fauna etc. Along with the ride the visitors can get entertained,” revealed Dr Hada. The new electric locomotive will cost around Rs 80 lakh and it will be funded by DPDC. Whereas the old engine will be kept as a display near the Vanbala station, said Dr Hada. Around Rs 1.20 crore has been already spent on the renovation project of Vanbala. The toy train is 45-year-old and covers a 1.8 km circuit. It was first launched in December 1978 by former chief minister Sharad Pawar.