Toy train on Xmas track

STEAM HAUL

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, Siliguri: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) conducted its first trial run of the Toy Train on Friday for the first time since the strike was withdrawn in the hills.

A diesel locomotive carried two coaches from New Jalpaiguri to Tindharia, 35km from here, during the trial, rail officials said. The target is to resume the service along the entire 87km stretch to Darjeeling by Christmas. The service has been suspended for the past five months.

"We will now have trials to stations located beyond Tindharia in the hills. Our target is to resume the services up to Darjeeling before December 25 so that tourists and locals can enjoy the rides during Christmas and New Year," DHR director M.K. Narzary said.

During the strike, no maintenance was carried out on the tracks. Some stretches were damaged by landslips in the monsoons and weeds in other portions were not cleaned.

The tourism industry welcomed the planned resumption. "Several national and international tourists visit Darjeeling to take Toy Train rides. As the services remained suspended except a few joy rides, we had to confront queries whether all was well in Darjeeling," said a tour operator.

Samrat Sanyal, a travel industry veteran in Siliguri, said putting the Toy Train back on the tracks would help draw tourists after the strike-caused slump. "The GTA (Gorkhaland Territorial Administration) is hosting a tourism festival at the end of this month. Resumption of Toy Train services would add to the attractions," Sanyal said.