Promise to preserve DHR heritage tag.... Rail board chief inspects toy train route and stations

Lohani seated on a toy train near Sukna on Tuesday. Picture by Passang Yolmo

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, Mar 20, 2018, Siliguri: Ashwani Lohani, the chairman of Indian Railway Board, on Tuesday promised that all necessary restoration works would be taken up for preservation of the world heritage status of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR).

The chairman said he would look into possibilities of reducing toy train fares and said more second class coaches would be introduced in toy train services so that tourists as well as locals could afford the travel.

The railway official arrived at New Jalpaiguri on Tuesday morning and took a special toy train - two coaches hauled by a steam loco - to the hills.

He visited a number of stations, the DHR workshop at Tindharia, the printing press at Kurseong and also interacted with railway employees, local people and passengers of other toy train services.

"We are aware of the world heritage value of the DHR and will do all necessary work for the conservation and restoration of the DHR," said Lohani at Sukna, from where he started his inspection.

During the statehood agitation in the hills last year, the toy train services had come to a halt in June. Also, a section of agitators had torched two stations -Tindharia and Gayabari-and damaged a portion of Elysia Building, the DHR headquarters in Kurseong.

After the shutdown was withdrawn, the service was gradually restored. However, the gutted station buildings are yet to be reconstructed.

"We will restore all damaged properties with proper planning. Whatever funds are required will be spent," said Lohani.

Sources in the NFR said Lohani had ordered an immediate facelift of the Tindharia workshop.

"Some senior officials of the workshop will be sent abroad for training. He has also mentioned that two rail buses will be introduced on the New Jalpaiguri-Darjeeling route and asked the officials to make such rail buses at the workshop within next six months," a source said.

During his visit, Lohani also said all the 14 steam locos should be restored for service and all first-class coaches should be upgraded to AC coaches. To bring a heritage feel, the DHR staff should be dressed in the original uniform that was worn in the pre-Independence days, said the railway board chairman.

"Back in the nineties, it was he who had drafted the application for the inclusion of the DHR in the world heritage list of Unesco," said an official.

Lohani visited the Kurseong, Ghoom and Darjeeling stations and the loco sheds.

During his trip, Lohani was also asked about the Sevoke-Rangpo rail route. Initiated in 2009 to bring Sikkim to the railway map of the country, the project is yet to finish.

C.P. Gupta, the divisional railway manager of Katihar division of the NFR, said there were some land issues on the Bengal side that were delaying the project.