By the windows of mountain railways of India, sceneries pass by in a surreal experience. These narrow gauge rail lines were set up in the British era for fancy trips around hill stations. In total, there are seven narrow gauge rail lines in different corners of India. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (established 1881) is aptly called the ‘Toy Train’! Indeed, the moment you set feet inside the narrow compartment, your ideas of scale takes a trip to wonderland! The moment you begin to enjoy the beautiful train ride from the inside, the sceneries on the outside tend to seem magically beautiful.
The magic of beauty is abundant on either surroundings of the rich riding experience. You would want to take at least one trip to and from to enjoy the scenic wonders on both sides. Many travelers take multiple rides and the wonder never seems to cease!
A Ride of Heritage
Besides the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Kalka Shimla Railway (Himachal Pradesh, 1898), and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (Tamil Nadu) have been collectively assigned the status of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The other lines are no less beautiful and equally deserving to be in any list of top ten tourist attractions in India. The other four small line trains are Kashmir Railway (most recent, since 2005), the Kangra Valley Railway (Punjab- Himachal Pradesh, 1924), the Matheran Hill Railway (Maharashtra), and Lumding Silchar line, deep inside the North Eastern State of Assam.
The railways have been hailed as technological marvels because the original heritage engines (more than 100 years old) still ply on the routes. In the Heritage routes, the interior décor of the small compartments are reminiscent of Victorian styles. Planning a mountain railway trip would take one to the most beautiful places across the country. Travel deep in the forests of Assam or admire the beauty of the Himalayas from the window of your small train. The hoot of the steam engine and the setups immediately takes you on a time travel trip through the mesmerizing heritage of India.
The newly built Kashmir Railway has been a project of tough engineering accomplishments. This ambitious narrow gauge rail line intends to connect the interiors of this wondrous crown jewel of India with the rest of the country.
India as a tourist destination offers a wider variety of tourism experiences and Mountain Railways are one of them.
Kalka Shimla Route
Experience Indian mountain railways journey for a unique travel experience that would forever be in your best memories. The Kaleidoscope of scenic beauty is truly amazing and each trip opens a new vista of amazing travel experience. The Kalka Shimla Railways is a popular ride for tourists traveling to Himachal. Running on the Shivalik Hills, the trip (95.66 km) includes traveling over 864 multi arch bridges and 103 tunnels! Most tourists start by counting the number of tunnels and bridges, but soon lose count in the mesmerizing adventure. Since they connect hill stations, you can enjoy pleasant weather all around the year.
There are 919 curves on the road, and the sharpest of them curves by 48 degrees. The Barog Tunnel is longest, at an elevation 1144 feet. It has a strange story associated with it. The Engineer, Mr. Barog started building the tunnel from both sides of the hill but eventually committed suicide in frustration. Going through the apparently endless depths of the tunnel, you cannot help but believe a little in ghost stories. The engineer was buried by the side of the tunnel.
Blue Mountains Route
You should experience Indian Mountain Railways Journey on the Nilgiri Mountains. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu is technically very unique as the only ‘Rack Railway’ in India. This means the track uses the Rack and Pinion system that is specially made for running steam locomotives! This World Heritage track on the ‘Blue Mountains’ started its journey in 1908 and the original engine is still operational. The route takes you through dense forests, 250 bridges and 16 tunnels.
Darjeeling Trans Himalayan Railway
Planning these fascinating trips is very easy! Tickets are always available. The Darjeeling Toy Train runs for 88 km from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The highest elevation of this track is at the Ghoom Station at 7500 ft. The unique features of this scenic trans-Himalayan track include four zigzag bends and four spiral loops. The loops and bends reveal a breathtaking panorama of the valley below. Special panoramic points are given dramatic monikers such as ‘Sensation Corner’ and ‘Agony Point’! Indeed, at some point, you do feel like missing a heartbeat traveling in a surreal train far over a scenic valley!
Matheran Hill Railway
The Matheran Hill Railway covers a small distance of 20 km, but is no less magical. The engine looks like straight from a children’s fantasy book and takes travelers literally over huge swathes of forest area. This is also a heritage train, operational since 1907. The Horseshoe embankment is the unique aspect of this trip, revealing the full bend of the train to the passengers. The only tunnel in this brief route is known as ‘One Kiss Tunnel’. You can easily guess why!
Lumding Haflong Railways
These trips will get you to discover destinations in India that can be best described as ‘hidden gems’. The Lumding Haflong route in the Cachar Valley of Assam is definitely one of the most treasured gems of exploring the North East. It runs by 37 tunnels and 586 bridges over a 120 km track. In total, there are 24 stations on the way.
