After a four month halt, DHR resumes full-fledged services between NJP & Darj
Times of India | 18 November 2024
Siliguri: Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR), resumed full-fledged services between New Jalpaiguri Station and Darjeeling after four months from Sunday.
Services were disrupted from July 5, after the tracks were damaged by multiple landslides and cave-ins between Sukhna and Kurseong. The DHR is also set to celebrate its silver jubilee year of the conferment of the world heritage status by Unesco this year, with a week-long fest named Ghum Winter Festival from Nov 30 to Dec 8. To mark the silver jubilee, DHR has organised a ‘fun run with DHR' on Dec 5, said officials.
Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of NF Railway's Katihar division, Surendra Kumar, said, "The full-fledged service from NJP to Darjeeling was cancelled after torrential rain triggered multiple slides along NH-55. Debris accumulated on the tracks, causing defects. But the tracks are now fit for operations, and we have also done the gradient work."
A tourist from Australia, Josephine Criswell, who boarded the DHR from NJP, said she loved the DHR ride and came to experience it for the second time with her friends. "I had visited last year and loved it so much that I brought my friends along. It is a difficult terrain to build a railway on and the history of the railway is so interesting. We will get down at Kurseong and get on the joy ride from Darjeeling to Ghum," said Criswell.
Suspension of services is common during the monsoon season. When asked if the DHR is taking any steps to combat such suspension, Kumar said, "It is a hilly region, and it's an area that receives heavy rainfall, which leads to natural calamities. Catering to the safety of the passengers, we cancel the services. However, we also try to fix the lines as soon as possible. This time, the calamities were severe, so it took a longer time."
"We face a lot of pressure as it is a tourist hub. We have given many proposals for maintenance, and several have been approved. Three new engines have been sanctioned, and we are looking forward to starting new services with the DHR," he added.
According to DHR officials, the full-fledged services left with two coaches from Siliguri on Sunday with 35 passengers —17 passengers in the chair car and 18 passengers in the first AC coach. The train left NJP at 10 am and reached Darjeeling at 5:20 pm. From Darjeeling, the train left at 9 am and reached NJP at 4:30 pm. The train from Darjeeling left with 48 passengers —17 passengers in the chair car and 16 passengers and 15 FCZ (slip coach). The slip coach has been added to carry passengers from Darjeeling to Kurseong only.