Darjeeling 'toy trains' to be back on track from today after more than a year
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was closed down on March 22 last year in view of the pandemic. The trains are preparing to get back on track now after nearly one and a half years, just ahead of Durga Puja in West Bengal.
The 'toy train' in West Bengal's Darjeeling, a part of the railway system declared by Unesco as a 'World Heritage Site', is set to be back on track once again from Wednesday, August 25, after a gap of more than one year due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) situation. Formally known as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), the toy train will be chugging again between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling from today, according to a statement issued by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
The Darjeeling toy train is a narrow-gauge railway that was built in the British era, between 1879 and 1881. It climbs from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, around 88km apart, on a zig-zag track. The 'Red Panda' service from Darjeeling to Kurseong is hauled by vintage steam locomotives, while most of the scheduled services are operated on diesel engines travelling from Darjeeling to Ghum, the highest railway station in India.
In an official statement last Saturday, the NFR announced the resumption of toy train services in Darjeeling weeks before Durga Puja, a much-venerated festival in West Bengal. However, the timings for the pair of trains from New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling have not been notified yet.
“Each train will have 17 seats in the first class and 29 seats in the general class for passengers,” reports quote NFR's spokesperson, Guneet Kaur, as saying. She added that the resumption of the hill station railway services is expected to benefit the tourism and hospitality sectors, both of which had taken a serious hit due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was closed down on March 22 last year in view of the pandemic. However, the trains are preparing to get back on track now after nearly one and a half years, with the railway staff seen to be cleaning out and sanitising the coaches in the shed. Passengers availing the Darjeeling toy train services will, however, have to abide by all Covid-19 necessitated protocols, including the maintaining of social distancing, wearing of masks at all times, and the like, the NFR official said.
