Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

A steam special on India's 2 ft gauge toy train, climbing from Kurseong through the streets of Sonada and Ghum, round the Batasia Loop and down to Darjeeling.

The route

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway climbs from New Jalpaiguri, on the plains of West Bengal at about 100 m, to Darjeeling in the eastern Himalaya. It was proposed by Franklin Prestage, an agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway, and built by Gillanders, Arbuthnot and Company. The 2 ft (610 mm) gauge line reached Kurseong in August 1880 and Darjeeling in July 1881. For decades it carried tea, timber and people up and down the hills, and in 1910 it moved 174,000 passengers and 47,000 tons of goods.

The builders laid the track along the Hill Cart Road and wound it up the slopes with loops and zig-zag reverses. In 1882 four loops and four zig-zags between Sukna and Gayabari evened the gradient out to 1 in 28. Today the line uses six zig-zags and three loops. For long stretches the rails run in the road itself, so the trains sound their horns and whistles almost constantly to warn walkers and drivers. Ghum, at 2,258 m, is the summit and the highest station in India.

In 1999 the railway became the first part of UNESCO's Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site, later joined by the Nilgiri and Kalka–Shimla lines. It is owned by Indian Railways and run by Northeast Frontier Railway. Six NDM-6 diesels built in 1997 work most scheduled trains, while B class 0-4-0 saddle tanks, built by Sharp, Stewart and the North British Locomotive Company between 1889 and 1925, haul steam services and specials.

What you will see

The film follows B class No. 802 on a steam freight special in 2026, the second half of a two-part trip from Siliguri. It opens on the slopes above Kurseong, the largest town on the middle section, a town at about 1,480 m, with houses stacked above the track, and passes Tung. The point-of-view ride from the front of the train begins at Sonada. From here the rails share the road, and the engine edges past a road repair crew and through a traffic jam on the approach to Jorebungalow.

Jorebungalow was once the store point for tea from nearby estates, sent on to Calcutta. The engine takes water there, then runs on through the narrow streets to Ghum, with one close call involving a water truck. Ghum is the top of the line at 2,258 m, and from there the train starts downhill towards Darjeeling. Tourist leaflets sometimes call it the highest station in the world; it is not, but no station in India stands higher.

Just below Ghum the line circles the Batasia Loop, a spiral built in 1919 to ease the gradient, with a memorial to Gorkha soldiers of the Indian Army at its centre. The train passes Dali Monastery and takes water once more at West Point before arriving at Darjeeling station, 2,073 m up on the Hill Cart Road. The last minutes show the engine running cab-first back towards Kurseong and the daily train from Siliguri.

Riding it for real

Northeast Frontier Railway runs the line. Most scheduled trains between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling are diesel-hauled, and daily tourist joy rides run from Darjeeling to Ghum and back by way of the Batasia Loop, some behind steam. A steam-hauled service also runs between Darjeeling and Kurseong. Steam specials such as the one in the film are run for enthusiast groups.

Riding the steam train from Darjeeling to Kurseong covers the same ground as this film in the opposite direction. Tickets are sold through Indian Railways. Rockslides can block the Hill Cart Road and the track together, and parts of the line are sometimes closed after heavy rain. Check Northeast Frontier Railway or Indian Railways for current timetables, fares and any suspensions before you travel.

The video is embedded from YouTube and remains on its owner’s channel. Views count toward the original video.