Even as Puneites are nostalgic about the 59-year-old train, a new toy train will be inaugurated in Empress Garden on Republic Day.
The upcoming inauguration of a new toy train at the Empress Garden, although welcomed by Puneities, has put the spotlight on the untimely and premature death of the famous Phulrani at
Energy Park.
Phulrani, synonymous with the erstwhile Peshwe Park, has had many memories of the citizens attached to it. However, since the last few years, the train has not been running due to what officials say “technical difficulties”.
Phulrani, the only toy train that boasted of etching citizens’ memory, has been out of service for a long time, and its recent replacement is yet to hit the track. However, Pune would be seeing the entry of another toy train on Republic Day.
A new toy train, tentatively named ‘Empress Safari’, will be inaugurated in Empress Garden soon.
Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India, the body that is managing the garden since 1880, has proved its success by maintaining the 36-acre in a better manner than any municipal garden in the city.
Empress Garden managing committee vice-president, Suresh Pingale, said that the toy train will be unveiled in the garden soon.
“The train was to be inaugurated on January 19, but has been postponed to January 26 as we do not want to hurry and make it uncomfortable for both the flower exhibition and the people who want to take the train ride,” the committee treasurer, Ulhas Shedge said.
Talking to DNA, Preeti Karekar, an IT professional said, “I have a lot of memories attached to Phulrani, but am sad to see its sorry state in the last few years when I wanted to take my children for a ride. I hope the replacement functions properly soon. I am happy to have another option at Empress Garden, and am waiting excitedly for its inauguration.”
The Rs10-ride would take people around the garden in twenty minutes.
Phulrani made her first trip on April 8, 1953, at Peshwe Park. After ferrying children and adults for four decades, the garden was handed over to the Maharashtra Energy Development Authority (MEDA) by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
Since 2002, when MEDA erected a non-conventional energy park in the garden, the train ran on solar power. However, the authority returned the park to the PMC in 2009, citing lack of manpower and
resources.
The 59-year-old ‘Phulrani’ was replaced with a new toy train
recently.
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