A Rail Plane Traveller: The little blue train 5

Darjeeling - DHR

So finally the time came for the chance to ride on the DHR or Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. Well the first try was met with disappointment as the tickets were sold out on my first try. The plan was to ride the Steam Tourist Train on day 2 and Diesel service to Kurseong on day 3 but as there were no tickets on the first try so I had to do both on day 3.

Buying train tickets in India requires preparation and patience. You must first get a booking form, find the correct train number and information, fill in the form, join the line at the ticket counter. The trick is to also fill up a few other forms for alternative trains. When my first choice was full, I had to leave the line, fill in another form and join the line again!

As in my case, during peak time the trains get booked up quickly, so early booking is advisable. You may be ‘wait-listed’ i.e. put on a waiting list with allocation of any unoccupied seats near to departure time but you have to fight your way to get on top of the list. Bring along your passport and try to use the "I am a tourist" to get priority.

Booking form in hand

You need to refer to the board on the left to assist in the booking information

Yes it's my turn


Sold out? Ok can I have the next train? What fill in another form and come back? WTF

The ticket for the tourist train

So in the morning I jumped on the normal diesel service to Kurseong. It was a slow but interesting journey. It departs Darjeeling around 10 am and arrives in Kurseong at 1.00 pm. From there I had to immediately find a taxi and rush back to Darjeeling to get the 4pm Tourist Train! It was going to be a tight and rushed day but everything worked out well and on time!

The route from Darjeeling to Kurseong


The coaches are named after mountain peaks

Tourist line up to watch our departure

Squeezing pass the shops

This group of children decided to race the train.....

.....they were faster than the train!

People started to run and jump onto the train.

That is wedding reception

Sonada Station

The small Tung Station

Kurseong Station

Once we arrive I quickly look for a taxi and we zoom back to Darjeeling so that I could join the 4 pm Tourist train. Thank fully the weather was great and traffic light.

Steaming along the tracks to Ghum

The 2 hour tourist train excursion has two first class carriages. Along the journey, the train stops at the impressive viewpoint of Batasia Loop for 10 minutes and arrives at Ghum 50 minutes after departure from Darjeeling.

The Batasia Loop is one of the 5 spiral railway loops created to lower the gradient of ascent of the DHR. At this point, the track spirals around over itself through a tunnel and over a hilltop. It was commissioned in 1919.

During the 10 minute stop we get to walk around

There is also a memorial to the Gorkha soldiers of the Indian Army who sacrificed their lives after the Independence of India in 1947.

While the passengers walked around the garden, I took this opportunity to get a closer look at the locomotive.

Once you arrive at Ghum there is a break for 30 minutes and this is an opportunity to visit the railway museum. It a very small and basic museum but you will get a good idea about how the DHR was built. Outside there are also a few locomotives and coaches on display. Admission to the museum is included in the fare of the tourist train service.