Hint at toy train ride resumption

TT, 19 July 2019, Siliguri: A senior official of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway on Thursday said toy train rides between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling were likely to resume on July 21 as debris had been cleared from spots hit by landslides.

The service has been halted since July 9 after at least six landslides blocked the tracks between Rongtong (15km from Siliguri) and Tung (60km from here).

"Our technical team worked relentlessly in the past 10 days. They cleared the debris from the tracks and carried out necessary repairs so that trains could cross the stretches safely. As no heavy rain occurred in the hills in the past couple of days, there was no further landslides. W hope the service could resume on July 21," said an official of the DHR.

A few days ago, the World Heritage Committee of Unesco had expressed concern over the conservation and the protection of the heritage railway service.

Last year also, there had been a similar disruption in toy train movement between the NJP and Kurseong..