Ride the Darjeeling toy train to Ghum

What the experience is

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was built between 1879 and 1881 to carry tea down from the hills of northern Bengal and the British up to them. Its track is two feet wide, and its small blue engines and carriages have given it the name of the toy train. It has been on the World Heritage list since 1999.

The whole line runs for about 88 kilometres from New Jalpaiguri, on the plain, to Darjeeling at 2,200 metres, gaining height by zigzags and loops. Most visitors take the short version, known as the joy ride: a train from Darjeeling to Ghum and back. Ghum, at 2,258 metres, is the highest railway station in India. On the way the line circles round and crosses over itself at the Batasia Loop, in a garden with a view, on a clear day, of Kangchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world. The track runs beside the road and through the bazaar, within reach of the shop fronts. At Ghum there is a small railway museum.

Some of the joy rides are hauled by steam locomotives of the B class, small tank engines built in Britain, which need a crew of several men. Others are hauled by diesels, so check which is offered when booking.

The longer journeys

The full line from New Jalpaiguri takes the better part of a day. Through services on the lower section run intermittently and are sometimes suspended for months after landslides in the monsoon, so check before planning around it. Extra services have been added in some festival periods. The joy ride from Darjeeling is the reliable version.

When to go

The mountains are clearest in October, November and early spring. The steam rides are popular at the same times and in spring, so book ahead.

Good to know

Seats are reserved through the Indian Railways booking system. The nearest airport is Bagdogra, close to New Jalpaiguri. Current schedules should be checked with the railway.

Why OKYTO recommends it

It is a working Victorian mountain railway, close to the tea estates that were the reason for building it.