Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a two-foot gauge line that climbs from the plains at New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling at about 2,200 metres, using loops and zigzag reverses to gain height instead of tunnels. Built in the late nineteenth century, it still runs, partly with steam locomotives, and for much of the route the track sits in the road itself, passing shopfronts and market stalls close enough to touch. Most visitors take the short joy ride from Darjeeling to Ghum and back, which includes the Batasia loop and the highest station on the line. The full journey from the plains takes most of a day and is frequently disrupted.

History

Siliguri was linked to Calcutta by railway in 1878, and Franklin Prestage of the Eastern Bengal Railway proposed a steam tramway up the cart road to Darjeeling; the plan was approved in 1879, track reached Tindharia by March 1880, when Lord Lytton rode the train, and the line opened to Kurseong on 23 August 1880 and to Darjeeling on 4 July 1881. Because the road was too steep for the locomotives in places, loops and zigzags were added from 1882, and the Batasia Loop followed in 1919; the line survived an earthquake in 1897, a cyclone in 1899 and landslips in 1902, carried 174,000 passengers in 1910 and moved troops and supplies in the Second World War. The Indian government bought it in 1951, and on 5 December 1999 UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway).

Highlights

• The Batasia loop - a spiral where the line curves back over itself above Darjeeling.
• Ghum station - the highest point on the railway, with a small museum attached.
• Steam locomotives - the vintage engines still used on the tourist services.
• Track running through the street - long stretches where the line shares the road with traffic.

When to go

October and November give the clearest air and the best chance of mountain views from the line, and March to May is mild with rhododendrons in flower. The monsoon from June to September causes landslides that regularly close sections of track for weeks. Steam services and joy ride slots sell out in season, so book tickets in advance rather than at the station.

Before you go

Services are cancelled and sections closed more often than the timetable suggests, and the full run from the plains is slow, cramped and can take longer than the road. The joy ride is short, crowded and expensive for the distance covered. Diesel often replaces steam without notice. Views depend entirely on cloud, and for much of the year there is no mountain to see.

Nearby

Darjeeling's tea gardens and the sunrise viewpoint at Tiger Hill are close by.