Bhubaneswar: The Nandankanan authorities have asked the agencies concerned to expedite the process of resumption of toy train and ropeway services - two major tourists attractions in the zoo. The ropeway service was stopped in February 2011, while the toy train service was called off in 2014.

Deputy director of the zoo Jayant Dash said that the toy train service was likely to resume by July. "The environmental clearance for restarting the ropeway service has been received in December and the private party has been asked to expedite the process," said Dash.

RITES Ltd, a central government enterprise under the aegis of Indian Railways, is relaying the toy train service while Calcutta-based Damodar Ropeways and Infra Ltd has been entrusted with the job of reinstallation of the ropeway.

The toy train, which started moving in 1985 on a 1.6-kilometre track, used to take as many as 60 visitors for a ride of around 20 minutes. The toy train used to attract around 1.5 lakh tourists every year against a charge of Rs 10 for a single ride. Similarly, more than 13,000 visitors used to take a ride in the ropeway over the Kanjia lake every year. Another zoo official said that the narrow gauge track used for the toy train service was being replaced with a broad gauge line as part of the overhaul.

The train engine and the five bogeys used in the service are also being renovated.

The renovated toy train and ropeway services are expected to be major crowd pullers. "At present, we only have boating facility. But the toy train and the ropeway would surely attract more tourists, especially children," said the official.

in 2017, the zoo attracted 21.12 lakh visitors between April 1 and December 25, an increase of 1.30 lakh from the figure during the same time period in the previous year.