Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) ascends 6,850 feet (2,090 m) from New Jalpaiguri (Siliguri); the climb begins at Sukna, continues uninterruptedly to Ghum (7,407 ft/2,258 m) and descends the final 5 miles (8.0 km) to Darjeeling. After independence, India's partition resulted in the isolation of the Northeast region. Consequently, the DHR was merged into Assam Railways, it was closed for the construction of the Assam-Bengal link line and one of its extension lines to Kishanganj was converted to metre gauge. DHR's other extension line to Kalimpong got washed away due to floods. On re-opening, the DHR was merged with North Eastern Railway in 1952 and later into Northeast Frontier Railway in 1958.
The DHR achieved worldwide fame for many reasons such as:
- A gateway to the Himalayas
- The tiny 4-wheeled steam locomotives of the 19th century
- The curves, loops, "Z"s and steep grades crisscrossing the road
An interest in DHR all along has ensured that it continues to operate notwithstanding very heavy losses. The steam locomotive is an icon of this Railway. Tindharia workshop has kept 13 locomotives surviving, some of which are over 100 years old and the youngest is about 70 years old.
Timeline of DHR:
- January 20, 1948: Purchased by the Government of India
- January 26, 1948: Transferred to Assam Rail Link
- January 26, 1950: Transferred to Assam Railway
- January 14, 1952: Transferred to North Eastern Railway
- January 15, 1958: Transferred to Northeast Frontier Railway
Read more about this topic: Northeast Frontier Railway Zone
Famous quotes containing the word railway:
“Her personality had an architectonic quality; I think of her when I see some of the great London railway termini, especially St. Pancras, with its soot and turrets, and she overshadowed her own daughters, whom she did not understand—my mother, who liked things to be nice; my dotty aunt. But my mother had not the strength to put even some physical distance between them, let alone keep the old monster at emotional arm’s length.”
—Angela Carter (1940–1992)