Darjeeling: Toy train services suspended till August 31 due to rain
As per the latest developments, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) section of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), toy train service has been suspended till August 31.
This move comes in the wake of the ongoing monsoon rains. Referring to this, NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De added that the three steam joy rides and one diesel joy ride would remain cancelled from July 20 to August 31.
The official further added that the DHR, an UNESCO world heritage site, located in the foothills of the Himalayas, is also the most visited place by tourists, and offers the best toy train experience in India.
All about the DHR
It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1999, and is also famed for the fascinating journey it offers that takes its guests through the beautiful hills of Himalayas in narrow-gauge toy trains.
The NFR, which is one of the 17 railway zones in India, operates fully and partially in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.
Here’s all that you need to know if you want to enjoy the rides when the services restart.
Places that the Darjeeling Toy Train covers
The toy train runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, and passes through areas such as Siliguri and Kurseong. The highlights of this train ride are the hilly loops, whereas the train also crosses five bridges and 500 smaller bridges along its route! There are three routes available.
Timings
You can enjoy several trips, depending on the season. As per the records, the DHR conducts 20 train rides during peak season, which obviously depends on the number of tourists too. For your information, there are 18 rides on the Darjeeling-to-Ghum route, which run from 7:40 AM to 4:30 PM.
Tourists can opt to choose which train they wish to ride in, i.e., steam engine or diesel engine. While there are 2 first-class cabins in the steam engine toy train, there are 3 available in the diesel engine train.
Ticket price
The ticket price for a toy train ride in Darjeeling will cost around INR 805 per head for diesel engine rides, while it will cost INR 1405 per head for steam engine rides.