Toy trains will soon become a reality in Auroville. They are set to begin operations inside Auroville, following a visit last month by a delegation of senior officials from the Railway Board to finalise plans for an electric-powered toy train project. The delegation had conducted detailed site inspections and planning discussions with Auroville representatives to shape the initiative.
And the exercise was successful.
According to Sindhuja Jagadeesh, a member of the Auroville Town Development Council and legal coordinator of the Auroville Foundation, the project has already been launched and tenders have been floated. “At present, there are three functional kindergartens in the Cultural Zone, and the toy train will connect these facilities,” she said.
Sindhuja said the project aligns with The Mother’s vision of soul-centred education, where learning is driven by joy rather than examinations or career outcomes. Under the Kindergarten Belt of the cultural zone in the Auroville Galaxy Plan, children aged four to seven are encouraged to develop independence, confidence and autonomy from an early age.
As part of the plan, a designated drop-off zone will be created beyond which parents will not be allowed on a daily basis. “The system is designed so that children can travel independently using the toy train, accessing their spaces safely and confidently,” Sindhuja said. As Auroville expands its kindergarten network to up to 14 centres accommodating around 525 children, the toy train will support this growth.
“The toy train project, costing approximately Rs 1.5 crore and gifted to Auroville by Southern Railway, is currently under implementation. In parallel, discussions are underway on a larger e-tram project along the circular Crown Belt in Auroville. While budgetary approvals are pending, the e-tram project is expected to follow once the toy train becomes operational,” said Sindhuja.
Aligned with Auroville’s founding principles, the battery-operated toy train meant for kindergarten children reflects the 1965 vision of a walkable city. These low-speed electric vehicles will move through landscaped green zones, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel-based transport.
“At a time when cities across the world are retrofitting themselves to reduce congestion and phase out fossil-fuel vehicles, Auroville stands out as the first city planned from inception to be pedestrian-friendly and limited to electric vehicles," says Sindhuja.
She added that the 4.5-km e-tram route along Auroville’s outer circle is only proposed at this stage. “The final phase would include the implementation of the Crown Road project; central to the master plan that envisions Auroville as a City for the Future."
While toy trains operate at UNESCO World Heritage sites such as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kalka-Shimla Railway, a toy train designed exclusively for the daily commute of kindergarten children is unprecedented in India. If implemented, as planned, the Auroville initiative will be the first of its kind in the country.