Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a 2ft (610mm) gauge Railway which runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal in India. It is also known as DHR or the Toy Train.
History
The Settlement at Darjeeling began in 1828, started with interest of the British Government. It was once a part of Sikkim. Separated by 1835 to establish a sanatorium for the invalid servants of the East India Company.
Franklin Prestage, an agent of the Eastern Bengal Railway initiated the developments of the DHR in 1878 and opened in 1879. The main purpose of DHR was to transport essential commodities between hills of Darjeeling and the plains and export of tea. The existing road network was not sufficient to handle the growing traffic.
Present
DHR is operated by the North Eastern Railway and has 14 stations. The length of the railway is 88km and it is a part of the Mountain Railways of India.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee has made DHR a World Heritage Site on 5th December 1999.
Read more about DHR here.
