Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Small black steam engine
Passing a fruit shop in Darjeeling
TerminusDarjeeling
Commercial operations
Built byFranklin Prestage
Original gauge610 mm (2 ft)
Preserved operations
Owned byIndian Railways
Operated byNortheast Frontier Railway
Stations17
Length83.9 km
Commercial history
Opened1881
Preservation history
HeadquartersElysia Place, Kurseong
Website
dhr.in.net
Part ofMountain Railways of India
CriteriaCultural: (ii)(iv)
Reference944ter-001
Inscription1999 (23rd Session)
Extensions2005, 2008
Area5.34 ha (13.2 acres)
Buffer zone70 ha (170 acres)
Coordinates26°40′48″N 88°27′36″E / 26.68000°N 88.46000°E / 26.68000; 88.46000
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is located in India
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Location of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India
Route map

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a 610 mm (2 ft) gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal.[1] Built between 1879 and 1881, it is about 88 km (55 mi) long. It climbs from about 100 m (330 ft) above sea level at New Jalpaiguri to about 2,200 m (7,200 ft) at Darjeeling, using six zig zags and three loops (originally five) to gain altitude. Ghum station is situated at an altitude of 2,258 metres (7,407 ft). Six diesel locomotives handle most of the scheduled service, with daily tourist trains from Darjeeling to Ghum – India's highest railway station – and the steam-hauled Red Panda service from Darjeeling to Kurseong. Steam-enthusiast specials are hauled by vintage British-built B-Class steam locomotives. The railway's headquarters are at Kurseong.

On 5 December 1999, UNESCO declared the DHR a World Heritage Site.[2] Two more railway lines were later added, and the site became known as one of the mountain railways of India.

  1. ^ The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways dhr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved 30 August 2021
  2. ^ "Mountain Railways of India". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 30 April 2006.