Landslides delay Darjeeling Himalayan Railway services

TNN | 21 July 2019, SILIGURI: Full-fledged services of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which were likely to resume on July 21, have been deferred due to landslides at Chuna Bhatti in Kurseong.

Northeast Frontier Railway divisional manager (Katihar) Ravindra Kumar Verma said clearing of debris is on.

Railway officials, however, denied any threat to the Toy Train’s Unesco heritage status.“Unesco will give us a comprehensive conservation management plan (CCMP) by September and we will work together to restore DHR,” said Verma.

Senior railway officials said until the CCMP is ready, there cannot be changes in the structure or beautification.

Verma also visited the locomotive carriage and wagon workshop at Tindharia and said there was a need to upgrade maintenance there. “It seems no attention had been paid to the workshop for a long time. Work will start on Sunday. We have given them 15 days to improve the workshop,” he said.

Meanwhile, chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma said train services in northeast India had resumed on Saturday. Trains going to Barak Valley and Tripura had been suspended since July 12. The railways had plans to resume services on July 19 provided there were no fresh landslides.

“On Friday, Aronai Express crossed that particular portion on its way to Silchar from Thiruvananthapuram. The section has been opened to passenger traffic from Saturday and all regular trains will run as per the timetable” added Sharma.