Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, India
An Antipodean travel company serving World Travellers since 1983 with small group educational tours for senior couples and mature solo travellers.
Ghoom Station is only one of the Darjeeling Toy Train’s railway station stops, as the railway runs between the West Bengali towns of Darjeeling and New Jalpaiguri. The train runs on narrow gauge railway tracks, which, as we’ve written before, means the tracks are narrower than the standard 1,435 mm or 4 ft 8 1⁄2 inches. DHR’s narrow gauge tracks are at around two feet.
When the railway tracks were first laid down in the 1870s-80s, commissioned by an agent of British India’s Eastern Bengal Railway, the locomotives couldn’t handle the steepness of the incline in some areas. In 1882, loops and zig zags were added between Sukna and Gayabari. The Batasia Loop, a spiral railway, was added in 1919 to lower the gradient of ascent of the train in Darjeeling Station. Today, these loops and zig zags allowed the railway to gain altitude—from 100 metres in New Jalpaiguri to 2,200 metres in Darjeeling town.
It stops at thirteen stations:
- New Jalpaiguri Station
- Siliguri
- Siliguri Junction
- Sukna
- Rongtong
- Tindharia
- Gayabari
- Mahanadi
- Kurseong
- Tung
- Sonada
- Ghoom or Ghum Station
- Darjeeling
The Ghoom or Ghum Railway Station is India’s highest railway station, while the DHR headquarters are located in Kurseong. The steam-hauled locomotive Red Panda runs between Kurseong to Darjeeling. From Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, the train journey runs for approximately seven hours, covering a distance of around 88 kilometres.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is currently owned by the government of India and its train services operated by its Ministry of Railways. There is a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society based in the United Kingdom that “promote[s] awareness of, interest in and support for the DHR.”
On Odyssey Traveller’s tour of Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Bhutan, we take an early morning drive through the verdant tea gardens and Himalayan foothills to Ghoom, for a ride on the DHR Toy Train. For this short joyride, most of the trains will be pulled by historic steam engines, giving us a glimpse of the past. There will also be a stop at Batasia Loop, with a panoramic view of the fields of Darjeeling, as well as a visit to the Himalayan Railway Museum before returning to Darjeeling town.
Odyssey Traveller has been serving global travellers since 1983. Our tours are especially designed for mature and senior travellers, focusing on history, culture, and architecture. Our small groups are typically between 6 to 12 people, and each group is accompanied by an Odyssey Program Leader, supported by national and local guides who share their local knowledge and expertise about each destination we visit. Click through to see the tour itinerary for Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Bhutan.
Articles about India published by Odyssey Traveller
- India’s Mughal Empire
- Clash of the Mughals and the Marathas
- History of British Rule in India
- Discovering India
- Top 20 World Heritage Sites You Must Visit
For all the articles Odyssey Traveller has published for mature aged and senior travellers, click through on this link.
External articles to assist you on your visit to India
- 7 Wonders of India (World Atlas)
- New Seven Wonders of the World (Travel Channel)
- 7 Things You Didn’t Know About the Qutub Minar (National Geographic Traveller India)
- Incredible India
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway