Kankaria Lakefront in Ahmedabad is set to replace its 15- to 16-year-old toy trains with two new trains after the first trial run was completed successfully, although the service cannot begin until approvals and licensing from 16 departments are secured.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has purchased the two new trains for Rs 3.54 crore. According to a Kankaria Lakefront official quoted by Gujarat Samachar – Ahmedabad, the second train is scheduled to undergo a trial run next week. The civic body is preparing to start the new service before the Kankaria Carnival, with regular operations expected to begin within the next one and a half to two months.
The trains will require clearances from departments including the police, estate, electrical, workshop and the state government’s Roads and Buildings Department. The authorities are planning to call officials from all the relevant departments to the site at the same time so that inspections and approval-related work can be completed without repeatedly affecting visitors.
If the inspections identify a need for changes or additional arrangements, the lakefront may be closed for about a day to complete the work, the official said. The requirement for multiple departmental permissions highlights that even a recreational attraction within a municipal public space is subject to safety, electrical, operational and site-management checks before it can carry passengers.
The two existing trains are around 15 to 16 years old and were imported from outside India. The replacement trains have been manufactured in Vatva, making them locally produced. The current trains have an estimated combined offset value of about Rs 28.70 lakh, according to the report.
The corporation expects the new service to generate around Rs 1.27 crore in annual revenue. The estimate would recover the purchase cost in roughly three years if the projected income is achieved. The existing toy train operations generated approximately Rs 1.53 crore for the corporation last year, according to the report.
The replacement also comes amid a contract-related dispute. A proposal has been made to award the operation and maintenance work for both new trains to Kchodal Corporation, the agency currently handling the existing service, for 10 years. The agency was the only bidder to qualify in the tender process, and the proposal would require it to pay Rs 10.50 lakh per month under the contract.
The proposed continuation of the existing agency has drawn controversy, even as the corporation moves to replace the ageing trains. The next operational milestones are the second trial run, completion of the 16-department approval process and licensing before the trains can be opened to visitors.
