Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about 88 km (55 mi) long. It climbs from about 100 m (328 ft) above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m (7,218 ft) at Darjeeling, using six zig-zags and five loops to gain altitude. There are both steam and diesel engines serving the route. There are 18 stops covered in the journey. This railway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Mountain Railways of India.

A DHR train passing a fruit shop in Darjeeling

Understand

This route provides breath-taking panoramic views of the Himalayas and the nearby hills. Some of the stops are special and unique in their own way. The journey starts from New Jalpaiguri in Siliguri. Sukna provides a look to the wildlife in the region. The Agony point and the Batasia Loop are one of the most important and popular stops. The train stops at the Batasia Loop for ten minutes for the passengers to enjoy the view and visit the Gorkha War Memorial which displays the selfless service of the Gorkhas in the British Raj. It halts at Ghum for another thirty minutes for a visit to the DHR Railway Museum.

History

See also: British Raj

Siliguri, at the base of the Himalayas, was connected with Calcutta (now Kolkata) by a metre gauge railway in 1878. Between Siliguri and Darjeeling, Tonga services ran on a cart road – the present-day Hill Cart Road. Franklin Prestage, an agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway, approached the government with a proposal to lay a steam tramway from Siliguri to Darjeeling. Ashley Eden, lieutenant governor of Bengal, formed a committee to assess the project's feasibility. The proposal was accepted in 1879 after a positive report by the committee, and construction began that year.

Gillanders, Arbuthnot and Company were hired to construct the line, and by March 1880 track was laid as far as Tindharia, and Lord Lytton, the first viceroy to visit Darjeeling, rode to Tindharia on the train. The stretch from Siliguri to Kurseong opened on 23 August 1880, and from Siliguri to Darjeeling on 4 July 1881. The company's name was changed to Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company.

The Railway in 1895.

The Batasia Loop was constructed in 1919, creating easier gradients on the ascent from Darjeeling. The DHR began facing competition from buses operating on the Hill Cart Road which took less time than the railway to reach Darjeeling. In 1934, a major earthquake in Bihar shook all of Northeast India. Many buildings in Darjeeling were heavily damaged and the railway was also affected, although it soon recovered and played a vital role in transporting repair materials. During World War II, the DHR transported military personnel and supplies to the camps around Ghum and Darjeeling.

In 1951, the railway was purchased by the Government of India and was absorbed into the government railway organisation before it was managed by the Assam Railway. Assam Railway (including the DHR) became part of the North Eastern Railway zone in 1952, and part of Indian Railways' Northeast Frontier Railway zone six years later. In 1962, the railway was realigned at Siliguri and extended by nearly 4 miles (6 km) to New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to meet the new broad-gauge line there. The extension began freight service that year, and passenger service in 1964. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999.

Types of trains

There are mainly two types of trains operating in this route. The diesel powered and the steam powered. Indian Railways operates Vistadome coaches on this route. The Vistadome coaches aim to provide utmost comfort and panoramic views of the scenery. All the trains have two classes, the chair car and the first class.

A Vistadome coach of the Indian Railways for the Deccan Queen train.

The journey from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling takes 7 hours, passing through hills and loops. There is also a route from Ghum to Darjeeling and back. It takes about 40 minutes and the return journey is absolutely free. There is a 'Steam Jungle Tea Safari' available which starts from Siliguri Junction to Rontong. It passes through the lush green tea plantations in the region. The Red Panda Diesel Joyride is a train covering the route from Kurseong to Mahanadi and back. The Himkanya Special train travels from Kurseong to Darjeeling. To facilitate bulk bookings, charter and coach booking services are also available at an economical fare.

Prepare

There are many businesses in Siliguri and other parts of West Bengal providing tour packages for Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Those tour packages are well planned and can plan and book all your stop-overs, accommodation and journey legs in advance. It may also include bus rides to and from stations and hotels. If you are planning of travelling by yourself, consider booking the hotels in advance as the rooms get sold within no time. Travelling alone makes you independent. You can also camp near the forest or in the less busy parts of the town. English, Hindi and Bengali are well understood by the locals as the area was under a Christian influence in the past. Darjeeling Tea which is world famous for its aroma is found here.

A cup of Darjeeling tea.

Climate

The climate along the route changes from warm to cold. Darjeeling is considered a cold city, temperatures even in summer tend to keep below 20 °C (68 °F). You will need warm clothes if you are visiting it in winters, when daily means are below 10 °C (50 °F), and temperatures below freezing are possible. Isolated thunderstorms are common in through the route. The trains get cancelled if there are heavy rains as it might get stranded in the sparsely populated mountains. Snowfall is rare but not an uncommon sight. Record low temperatures were recorded in 2021 which led to snowfall in the area.

Suggested packing list

• Warm clothes to keep yourself warm and cosy. Your destination might get cold.
• Ready-to-eat food, basically instant noodles and other instant Indian snacks. You might need some food to fill yourself up and enjoy while watching the views.
• Battery charger, charge your devices and keep them ready to take some pictures. The trains are fitted with outlets but they are not suitable for long use as they use high voltage DC to avoid vandalism.
• Camera, it will help you to capture memorable shots.
• Wet wipes, keep yourself clean and fresh throughout the journey.
• Flip-flops, it might be uncomfortable to wear huge bulky shoes throughout the entire journey. Change to some sandals for a comfortable walk through the coach.

Get in

The journey usually starts from New Jalpaiguri Railway Station. You can get to the railway station either by road, rail or air.

By road

New Jalpaiguri Railway Station is located in Siliguri. It is well connected to numerous national and state highway systems. The National Highway 27 links Siliguri with the adjecent state of Bihar while National Highway 17 connect the city with North-Eastern India. NBSTC provides bus services to and from different destinations in West Bengal. It also provides online booking facilities.

By rail

New Jalpaiguri Railway Station is the main hub for the railway traffic in North Bengal. All trains destined to North-Eastern India pass through here. Getting a train to New Jalpaiguri Railway Station is quite easy from any part of the country. Tickets can be booked online at the IRCTC website.

Bagdogra International Airport during rush hours.

By air

Bagdogra Airport is the main airport in this region. It gets daily traffic from all major Indian airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Guwahati.

Tickets

See also: Rail travel in India#Ticketing

Tickets for Darjeeling Himalayan Railway can be booked both online and in counters. For e-tickets, you can visit the IRCTC website. For counter bookings you can visit any reservation counter of any railway station in India. DHR also provides exclusive booking facilities in Darjeeling, Ghum, Kurseong, New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri Junction.

Stations

Here is the list of stations in the route with their respective station codes. This won't be useful during the journey, but it would help you search for the stations while booking tickets. Apart from these stations, there are many loops in the route, 1 Agony Point and 2 Batasia Loop being the most famous ones.

City	km from Darjeeling	Description
1 New Jalpaiguri (NJP)	72 km	It is the starting point of the DHR journey. New Jalpaiguri Railway Station is the main railway station of the metropolis of Siliguri.
2 Siliguri Town (SGUT)	67 km	One of the three railway stations in Siliguri.
3 Siliguri Junction (SGUR)	64 km	One of the major and second largest railway station that serves the city of Siliguri.
4 Sukna (SN)	54 km	Located 10 km from Siliguri, it is a small mountainous station.
5 Rangtong (RTG)	46 km	A small station between the mountains along the Hill Cart Road.
6 Tindharia (TDH)	42 km	A hill town with a railway workshop.
7 Gayabari (GBE)	36 km	It's just a small refreshment stop.
8 Mahanadi (MHN)	37 km	Named after the river Mahanadi, it is a small mountain town.
9 Kurseong (KGN)	30 km	One of the big townships in this region. The railway station has a museum which showcases the history of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
10 Tung (TUNG)	22 km	A small town along the route of DHR.
11 Sonada (SAD)	14 km	A small station with not much happening.
12 Jorebungalow (JBY)	6 km	A stop just before the famous Batasia Loop.
13 Ghum (GHUM)	5 km	A big station before Darjeeling. You can get some snacks and meals here.
14 Darjeeling (DJ)	0 km	Your final destination. You can visit the resorts or go for trekking in Darjeeling.

Fares

You can get the fare information while you book your tickets. It you are not logged in to IRCTC, you can visit Indian Railway's fare enquiry page to get the details about the fare of different classes. The fare for trains operating in DHR are between ₹800-₹1600. More details can be found at DHR's fare page.

The ticket prices change depending on the season. The prices are high during winters and low during summer. Indian Railways doesn't impose dynamic pricing in the routes under DHR.

Go

Darjeeling to Ghum

For tourists who want to go from Darjeeling, there are four trains a day that travel the seven-kilometre route to Ghum - sometimes also spelled Ghoom - where they turn around and return half an hour later. There is a small museum and monastery to visit in Ghum. The trains only carry first class, but is quite affordable. It is also possible to travel only one way by train and return by taxi.

The ride goes along the slope, so you only have a view of the Kangchenjunga mountain from one side of the train.

An air-conditioned coach of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Darjeeling to Kurseong to Siliguri

This is the main route of DHR. It starts from New Jalpaiguri and ends at Darjeeling. It takes about 7-8 hours in total. The train usually gets delayed, but the delay are worth it as they get you some great scenic sunset views. The trains operates daily with fares from ₹970-₹1420.

Stay safe

• With steam trains, it should be noted that, in addition to smoke, the locomotive emits a considerable amount of dirt and ash, which settles on the hair and clothing of passengers.
• Always watch your belongings. Even though theft cases are rarely reported, it is good to be vigilant.
• If you think that you being harassed in the train, immediately contact the Railway Protection Force at 182.

Go next

• Kalimpong - It is a hill station in Lesser Himalaya and recognized for educational institutions. Most of those were formulated during British colonial period. The town has many religious sightseeing places apart from beautiful views of mountains.
• Kurseong - It is referred as Karshiyang in Bengali and Khār-sỵāng in Nepali. The town is home to most expensive teas in the entire world. Some popular tea gardens such as Ambotia, Makaibari and Castleton produce special aromas which are difficult to cultivate elsewhere.
• Mirik - Mirik name came from the Lepcha word Mir-Yok implying ‘place burnt by fire’. Nestled in the serene hills of Darjeeling, It is a picturesque location. Mirik has become highly famous tourist place because of its natural beauty, climate and easy accessibility.
• Sikkim - With more than 40% of the area covered with forest, Sikkim boasts of its natural beauty. It is well known for its lush green valleys and snow covered hills.
• Siliguri - Located on the banks of Mahananda River, Siliguri is a prime educational, transportation, tourism and commercial centre in West Bengal. The town also acts as a key transit point for railway, road and air traffic to the north-eastern states of India and other neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Nepal.