Devotees of Maa Jivdani, climbing nearly 1,400 steep steps to go to her famous hill temple located 1,500 metres above sea level at Virar, will soon be able to take a funicular train uphill. Trials of the funicular railway have already commenced, and services are likely to commence for the general public as a New Year's gift by January 2021.

Indian Railways' Engineering consultancy agency, RITES Limited (Rail India Technical and Economic Service), gave the green signal to the project. "Due to the novel Coronavirus pandemic, the trials got delayed, delaying the project as well. But the services will now start for devotees in a month," Rajiv Patil, trustee of the Shree Jivdani Devi Mandir Trust said.