Indianomads

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway or TOY TRAIN

Declared by UNESCO in 1999 as a world heritage site, after Simmering railways of Austria. DHR was constructed by Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co. The work started in 1879 and completed by 1881 when it was opened till Darjeeling. The DHR journey starts from Siliguri Town and goes past Sukna Forest Range, Mahananda Sanctuary and then up the Hill Cart Road. This journey is a dream one and you will feel as if you are part of a “Harry Potter Film”. The Steam Loco huffs and puffs and utters a lot of curses and hauls up or pushes its way up.

Faced with many difficulties in climbing the hill gradient the DHR has to negotiate what is known as loops and Z-Reverses which were designed as an integral part of the system. At various points along the route in order to achieve a comfortable gradient the train moves forwards, reverses and then moves forward again, climbing a slope each time while doing so, it gains height along the side of the hill. One of the famous loops is the “Batasia Loop” 5 km from Darjeeling below “Ghoom”. From here one can see a magnificent panoramic view of Darjeeling town with a backdrop of the Himalayan Peaks of East. Kanchunjunga can be seen prominently among them.

Route: Siliguri Town-Sukna Reserve- Mahananda Sanctuary-Hill Cart Road-Rang Tong-Chunbhatti Tindaria -Agony Point-Gayabari-Mahanadi-Kurseong-Tung-Sonada-Rangbul-Jorbunglow-Ghoom-Batasia Loop-Darjeeling Junction-Darjeeling Bazar.

Duration: 3-4 days

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The Kalka Shimla Mountain Railway

Kalka to Shimla

A wonder of the British Raj India this narrow gauge (2ft 6 inches) railway track is the highway for the Kalka Shimla Railway. The Inauguration of this Railway was done on 9th November 1903 by no other than the famous Viceroy of British India, Lord Curzon. Hauled by class ZDM-3 diesel-hydraulic locomotives (522 kW, 50 km/h), built within 1970 to 1982 by Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in West Bengal, after the steam engines ran out of steam or favour in 1971.

The journey becomes interesting once the train crosses Parwanoo after leaving Kalka. One side there is the forest of bamboos and other greenery and the other side is the valley dropping below. The train passes through 102 tunnels and crosses 864 bridges. From an elevation of 2156 ft it climbs to an altitude of 6811 ft. There is an interesting story about the longest tunnel, Barog. Named after the British Colonel Barog who started to dig this tunnel from both ends but could not align the same. He was thus fined Rupee One during those times as a penalty. Col.Barog could not live with this humiliation; shortly he committed suicide inside the incomplete tunnel. It is said that later one Chief Engineer H.S.Herlington, with the help of a local sadhu (hermit) Bhalku completed this tunnel.

Route: Kalka-Dharampur-Solan-Kandaghat-Taradevi-Barog-Salogra-
Totu (Jutogh)-Summerhill-Shimla.

Duration: As per your plan with Shimla as base, minimum is 4 days.

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Kangra Valley Railway

Pathankot to Jogindernagar

Kangra Valley as the name suggests is a valley in Himachal Pradesh lying in between the Dhauladhar Range to the north and the foothills to the south. Unlike its glamorous peers like the Darjeeling Hill Railway and the Kalka-Shimla Railway, this railway is more or less a common man’s economic mode of transport. The 164km railway track travels through scenic places with minimum bends and curves and there are only through two tunnels along the way. A traveller on the Kangra Valley Railway experience a unique view due to the wide panorama of the valley. One can gaze for hours at length the snow-covered mountain ranges, the golden and green fields with crops without being interrupted all of a sudden every few minutes. The railway travels on a narrow arc and allows you to behold a unique scenery seldom seen when one travels by a mountain railway.

Route: Pathankot Junction-Jwalamukhi Road-Kangra-Nagrota-
Palampur-Baijnath Paprola-Joginder Nagar

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Nilgiri Mountain Railway

If you have seen David Lean’s “A passage to India” then you have seen a famous “Coonoor” station in the Nilgiris Mountain Railway route. Again a present to India from the British Raj, The Nilgiris Mountain Railway in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu was built by the British in the year 1908.

The Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR) is a treasured element and fabled charm of Nilgiris since 1899. This rail system is unique as it is the steepest one in Asia. A century after it first attracted travelers, this Mountain Toy Train continues to inspire weaving through forests, moving through time, along the valleys and into the little dark winding tunnels, round the bends, up the gradients, through the glens, trees and birds. A whiff of mist, a myna's trill, sunlight dances on yonder hill, whistling, chugging, fire, steam-clacking, moving into a dream Gorge, gorgeous, misty, foggy shrouded peaks, drizzles clothe the slopes. Two types of coaches first class and second class sitting can be availed.

Route: Coimbator Junction-Mettupalayam-Kallar-Adderly-Hillgrove
-Runneymede-Kateri Road-Coonoor-Wellington-Aravankadu-Ketti
-Lovedale-Fernhill-Udhagamandalam

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Matheran Light Railway

This railway is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge heritage railway in Maharashtra, India travelling from Neral to Matheran. The railway covers a distance of 21 km (13.05 mi), over large swathes of forest territory connecting Neral to Matheran in the Western Ghats.

Neral, the starting point, is about midway between Mumbai and Pune. The 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge line runs parallel to the BG line to the west of Hardal Hill and then turns east to ascend towards Matheran. The rail alignment and the roadway meet near Jumappati and meet again, after a brief separation, at Bhekra Khud. Following a small level stretch, there is a sharp ascent just before Mount Barry. A large horseshoe embankment was built to avoid a reversing station here. The line runs for a mile or so northwards around this and then turns around to take the 'One kiss Tunnel' through the embankment. Two more zig-zags through deep cuttings remain before Panorama Point is reached, and then the line bends back to Simpson's Tank and terminates at Matheran. It takes approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete the 21 km journey.

Route: Neral-Jummapatti-Water Pipe-Aman Lodge Railway
Station-Matheran.

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Lumding-Silchar Railway – Barak Valley Assam

Barak Valley Express, a daily express train connects Silchar (the south Assam town) to Lumding (to the nearest broad guage rail head). Train 15693 departs Lumding at 4:30 and arrives Silchar at 16:15 hrs, while the return train 15694 departs at 9:45 and arrives Lumding at 22:10.

It stops at almost all the stations on the route on its up-down journey, passing through the Barail Range and Jatinga river through 36 tunnels made during the British era. It is the only option for tourists to travel on this route as it is the only daily daytime operating train.

The train has only non-AC accommodation with 2 sleeping and 8/10 general carriages having a length of total 10/12 coaches. The train is hauled by YDM-4 Diesel Engine from Lumding, and needs a double locomotive from Harangajao to Jatinga, one in front and another at the back for climbing the height of Barail Range.

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