Toy Train to resume soon in Darjeeling hills

Prashant Acharya, EOI, The beauty of Darjeeling's and tourist's favourite ride Toy Train services will resume soon.

The work to clear the debris and tracks that had destroyed in the landslide at Pagla Jhora on June 2010 and at Tindharia on 28th September 2011 are being cleared and almost finished. The heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railways will soon resume the toy train service hopefully from the new year 2016 beginning.

The toy train that was being used for shooting in several bollywood blockbusters will soon shine in hills through jade green forest and villages of hills.

Ganesh Pradhan a resident of Tindharia said it has been almost five years that we have not seen any toy trains passing the hills from Tindharia. "We are happy to see the work going on full swing to resume the service so that tourists as well as local can feel proud to take its ride," said Pradhan.

The construction workers who are working tirelessly since last many years said that the work is almost going to complete within this year end and hopefully the service will resume from the beginning new year 2016.

Businessman Naresh Chhetri of Mahanadi said that the business establishment along the road site those who depend on domestic and international tourists for source of income are happy after the news about the resumtion of toy train service.

The Darjeeling toy train first began running in 1881 when Sir Ashley Eden was the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal. The DHR comes under the UNESCO's world heritage sites and covers a route spanning 87km. The toy train connecting New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling covers 88.48 km of narrow gauge track and passes through Ghoom at an altitude of 2258 meters.