A festive surprise for hill lovers from Darjeeling Himalayan Railway- GetBengal story
On July 4, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) celebrated the birthday of the iconic Toy Train. Now in its 144th year, the Toy Train was honoured with a special celebration for the first time at Sukna Railway Station. This event, called ‘Toy Train Day,’ was organised jointly by DHR and the North Bengal Painters’ Association, marking a proud moment for the UNESCO World Heritage-listed railway. And just before the festive season, DHR is all set to bring more happy news for everyone.
Sukna Station is one of the finest examples of British-era railway architecture. That’s why it was chosen as the venue for the first-ever celebration of Toy Train Day. Speaking to the media, Sukna Station Manager Tapan Malakar said, “We hope that just like the Ghoom Festival or the Summer Festival, Toy Train Day will also become a special attraction for tourists.”
According to sources in the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, three new toy train routes may start before the Durga Puja season. These are: Sukna to Rongtong, Kurseong to Mahanadi, and Kurseong to Tung. The decision has been made with consideration for the growing demand from tourists.
Many visitors don’t have time for long journeys, so these short joy rides have been specially planned. The trains will also have food services for the passengers. At Kurseong station, tourists can explore a railway museum as well.
That’s not all — the authorities are planning to increase the number of joy rides, bring in modern toy train engines from Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, upgrade station infrastructure, and renovate the museums and workshops along the route.
Interestingly, the toy train was first run on an experimental basis in 1870. The idea was to connect the hills of Darjeeling with Siliguri through a narrow-gauge railway line. Nine years later, in 1879, work began to make the service operational for commercial use. Finally, on 4th July 1881, the wheels of the first toy train officially rolled from Siliguri to Darjeeling.
To mark this historic moment, Toy Train Day was celebrated for the first time this year, in remembrance of the train’s birth anniversary.
