Darjeeling Himalayan Railway introduced its first ever evening daily toy train service hauled by steam engine after 137 years on Monday, 17 December.
With a total capacity of 29 passengers, DHR's toy train has a first-class coach and a dining car with a payable on-board catering service.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has introduced the evening service to provide an opportunity to tourists planning a short stay in Siliguri to experience the toy train ride. The toy train ride is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Darjeeling Himalaya Railway and can be taken during the second half of the day, reports IANS.
“There will be one dining car and one first class coach. The seating capacity of the dining car is 12 and that of the first class is 17. The up and down fare for the journey by first class is Rs 1000 and in the dining car the fare is Rs 1200. The train will have snacks, tea and other ready to serve items onboard on payment basis. Manual booking of tickets for round trips can be made at the originating station.”Pranav Jyoti Sharma, Chief Public Relation Officer, NFR
The train will cover a distance of 18 km between Siliguri Junction and Rongtong.
“The steam evening safari leaves Siliguri Junction at 3 pm to reach Rongtong at 4:20 pm with a 10-minute stoppage at Sukna station in between. The break is for tourists to visit the DHR museum at Sukna station. The train returns from Rongtong after a 25-minute halt for refreshment and engine reversal.”Pranav Jyoti Sharma, Chief Public Relation Officer, NFR
The 137-year-old DHR, which is under operational control of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
(With inputs from IANS)
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