Nandankanan officials ask RITES to fix problem with revamped toy train

BHUBANESWAR : With the locomotive of the revamped toy train at Nandankanan breaking down twice within a month of its inauguration, the zoo authorities on Thursday asked Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) Limited to send a team of experts to examine the engine and replace it if required. 

The service launched on October 8 this year was aimed at providing visitors a joy ride of 20 minutes on a 1.6 km stretch inside the zoo. However, the locomotive suffered its first breakdown on October 14 following a short circuit after which the  service was suspended till November 15. It once again suffered a breakdown on Wednesday in the middle of a ride forcing zoo officials to refund ticket money to around 22 visitors. 

RITES Limited had renovated the toy train project for Rs 4.98 crore and is also managing the service at a monthly maintenance cost of Rs 7.61 lakh for tracks and Rs 5.89 lakh for the engine and coaches. A zoo official said that though RITES is in charge of the quarterly operation and maintenance of the track and train, it is yet to send its expert team to address the technical glitches in the engine.

“The mechanical fault and issues pertaining to technical manpower for maintenance of the service have not been addressed yet leading to repeated breakdown of the engine on track with visitors on board. This not only is leading to discontentment among visitors but also inviting adverse feedback for the zoo,” said a senior official. 

He said while RITES has been requested again to send an expert team to thoroughly check the engine and track, a dry run of the train was carried out on the day during which the operation remained smooth. “We are hopeful that the service will be restored at the earliest,” the zoo official said.