Visakhapatnam: Toy train on Kailasagiri to be back on track soon

The toy train on Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam, which was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be operated again. According to reports, the Visakhapatnam Metro Regional Development Authority, in coordination with the railways, is planning to restore the facility soon.

A team from the railways recently inspected the track and suggested certain repairs to it. The train is likely to be operational after carrying out the repairs. It may be recalled that a private agency reached an agreement with the then Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) in 2005 to operate a toy train at Kailasagiri with a lease period of 22 years. The project became operational in 2007.

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However, the company allegedly failed to pay the lease amount properly. Despite several notices by the concerned authorities, there was no proper response from the company. When the company and VMRDA were on the collision course, corona broke out and activities came to a halt in tourist places, including Kailasagiri, in 2020. The dues to be paid by the company mounted and crossed Rs 2 crore.

With all its efforts to recover the dues failing, the VMRDA moved the court against the company. The VMRDA won the legal battle and seized the train and other equipment from the company recently. With legal tangles being cleared, the VMRDA has decided to operate the train again in coordination with the railways.

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