All about the Mountain Railways of India
India's majestically diverse landscape houses quite a few of the most mesmerising mountain ranges that the world is awed by. While there is no denying that the sight of these breath-taking hills is a joy forever, the journey through these jagged hilly terrains is an experience of another level altogether. However, this wouldn’t have been possible without a network of well-constructed mountain railway systems. India has five Mountain Railways currently: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways, The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway, The Kangra Valley Railway and Matheran Hill Railway. The first three have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Let us take you on a journey through these UNESCO Heritage Sites.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), sometimes known as the “Toy Train" is a 610 mm, small gauge railway that connects the cities of Siliguri and Darjeeling across an 88 km stretch. Constructed by the Darjeeling Steam Tramway Company back in 1881, it was the first mountain railway line of India to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Work on the route began in 1879 upon the request of Franklyn Prestage, an agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway Company and was finished by July 1881, following the recommendations of a committee constituted by Sir Ashley Eden (the then Lt. Governor of West Bengal.
In 1885, a brief expansion to Darjeeling Bazaar was completed, and in 1889, the first 'B' Class locomotives arrived, leaving an indelible mark on the DHR. On October 20, 1948, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company was taken over from Messrs Gillanders Arbuthnot and Co. by the Government of India. The train is now operated by Northeast Frontier Railway and passes through stations of New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri Town, Siliguri Junction, Sukna, Rangtong, Tindharia, Gayabari, Mahanadi, Kurseong, Tung, Sonada, Ghum and Darjeeling along the way.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) is a 1000mm single line railway with a metre gauge (narrow gauge railways) of 46 km that got completed in 1908. It was first proposed in 1854, but due to the tough terrain, construction did not begin until 1891. NMR, the second mountain railway line to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, connects Mettupalayam, a town in Tamil Nadu with Ooty, a busy hill station of the state.
Built by the British, the track passes through Kellar, Coonoor, Wellington, and Lovedale to reach Ooty, cutting across the gorgeous Nilgiri Hills, also known as the Blue Mountains of Southern India. The line has 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and 250 bridges, taking around 290 minutes to travel uphill and 215 minutes to travel downwards.
Kalka-Shimla Railway
The Kalka–Shimla Railway (KSR) is a 96.6 km long single-track railway built during the British rule that runs from Kalka to Shimla. It was constructed between 1898 and 1903 to connect Shimla, India's summer capital during the British Raj, with the rest northern plains. This railway system was accorded the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Shimla, Summer Hill, Shoghi, Salogra, Solan Brewery, Barog, Kumarhatti Dagshai, Dharmpur and Kalka Junction are the places covered along the Kalka-Shimla Railway route. KSR is the world record holder for its steepest rise in altitude, 96 kilometres.