Aman Lodge railway station is a small railway station situated in the Raigad district of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It lies on the Neral–Matheran light railway line, which connects the Central Railway main line at Neral to the hill station of Matheran. The station chiefly serves visitors travelling to and from Matheran, a hill resort located in the Western Ghats.
| Name | Aman Lodge railway station |
|---|---|
| Location | Raigad district, Maharashtra, India |
| Line | Neral–Matheran light railway |
| Operator | Central Railway zone, Indian Railways |
| Track gauge | Narrow gauge (2 ft / 610 mm) |
| Nearest hill station | Matheran |
The Neral–Matheran light railway is a narrow-gauge mountain railway built in the early twentieth century to provide access to Matheran, one of the smallest hill stations in India. The line, originally promoted by Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy and opened in 1907, climbs from Neral on the plains up to Matheran through a series of sharp curves, gradients and viewpoints in the Sahyadri range. Aman Lodge is the penultimate station on the line, located just before the terminus at Matheran.
Aman Lodge has gained particular operational importance because Matheran is a vehicle-free hill station and the section between Aman Lodge and Matheran has, at various times, been affected by monsoon damage and landslides on the upper reaches of the line. During such periods, the toy train service has been operated as a shuttle between Aman Lodge and Matheran, with passengers reaching Aman Lodge from Neral by road taxi. The station thus acts as the principal road–rail interchange for visitors travelling to Matheran. Private motor vehicles are not permitted beyond Aman Lodge, and travellers proceed to Matheran town either by the shuttle train, on foot, or by hand-pulled rickshaw or horse.
The station lies on the plateau approach to Matheran, at an elevation considerably higher than Neral. The surrounding area is forested and forms part of the Matheran eco-sensitive zone, notified to protect the ecology of the hill station and the adjoining Sahyadri ranges.