MANGALURU: Sound of chugging toy train is all set to reverberate yet again in Kadri Park . With new coaches and engine ordered by Bal Bhavan Society ready at Railway Workshop in Mysuru, efforts are on to get necessary infrastructure in place at the park to facilitate its early reintroduction. This includes relaying existing track, modifying and/or redesigning a foot over bridge as well as a shed that housed the old two-coach and engine used by the society for toy train operation.Dakshina Kannada Nirmithi Kendra has been given the task of relaying the track and modifying the above mentioned structures. Rajendra Kalbhavi, project director, DK Nirmithi Kendra told STOI that Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has accorded administrative approval for Rs 43 lakh to carry out the above work. Mangaluru City South MLA J R Lobo will perform the bhoomi Pooja for this work on August 19 as per confirmation given by him, Rajendra said.M R Ravi, chief executive officer, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat incidentally at the monthly KDP programme that Meenakshi Shantigodu, president of the panchayat chaired on Thursday had directed the Nirmithi Kendra to start the work immediately. Ravi had informed the meeting that coaches and engine as per specification provided by the society was ready at railway workshop and they would be transported here once the infrastructure for it was in place here.The toy train with two coaches was introduced in 1975 and was running for over three decades, before a technical glitch with the engine stalled its operations months ago. A move by the state government to sanction Rs 96 lakh through Bal Bhavan Society meant that the society could order for a new toy train with three coaches. The initial plan was to start operation of toy train from June and current estimation is it could start latest by end of this month or early September.The old toy train was operating on a track of 1.5feet width. The new train will be bigger and would need a track width of two feet. Even the shed, where the old train is kept, is not sufficient for the new train. "There are plans to redesign the shed or convert it to a model of a railway station with a covered canopy that can protect the train from the elements," Rajendra said, adding the Kendra will act on suggestions that it receives from the society and the MLA.

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