Thane Gets Switzerland-Style Funicular Railway at Haji Malang, Cuts Travel Time to Less Than 10 Minutes

The long-awaited funicular railway at Haji Malang, also known as Malanggad, is now operational near Kalyan in Thane district. Located on the outskirts of Mumbai, the Switzerland-style cable railway has started services for devotees and tourists visiting the famous Haji Malang dargah.

The new system has reduced the travel time to the shrine from nearly two hours to just 7-10 minutes. Earlier, visitors had to climb around 2,600 steps through the Sahyadri hills to reach the top. The steep and long trek was difficult, especially for senior citizens, women, and children.

The shrine of Haji Malang is located in the Sahyadri mountain range in Thane district. It is visited by people from all religions. The idea of building a funicular railway was proposed by Kisan Kathore, who was the Ambernath MLA at the time. The project was planned on the lines of similar systems used in Switzerland.

Construction of the funicular railway began in 2012. The project had a budget of INR 93 crore and was originally expected to be completed by 2015. However, work was delayed due to the steep, uneven, and rocky terrain of Malanggad Hill. These geographical challenges slowed down construction at several points.

Although construction was completed last year, the launch was delayed further. The inauguration was postponed for nearly a year due to pending technical approvals and safety certifications. After all clearances were received, the railway was officially inaugurated by Kisan Kathore and MLA Sulbha Ganpat Gaikwad.

The Malanggad funicular railway is the longest of its kind in India. It is designed to transport passengers safely up and down the hill using a cable-driven system. The system uses two counterbalanced carriages connected by a single cable. In this setup, when one carriage moves up, the other moves down at the same time. The weight of the descending carriage helps pull the ascending one, reducing energy use. 

The Haji Malang line will be operated using two funicular trains. Each train has two spacious coaches. Together, the system can carry around 1,200 passengers every hour. To manage operations, around 70 staff members have been deployed.