The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), a UNESCO World Heritage Site under Northeast Frontier Railway, will introduce six special joyride services from October 1 for the Durga Puja festival season.
Four single-trip services will operate between Darjeeling and Ghum, offering tourists enhanced access to the railway’s scenic landscapes and cultural heritage. The proposed fare is Rs 800 per single journey.
Two additional round-trip services will connect Kurseong and Mahanadi. The steam-hauled Red Panda will cost INR 1,530, while the diesel-hauled Mukta Dhara, named after Rabindranath Tagore’s celebrated poem, will cost INR 1,030.
The special services are aimed at promoting heritage rail tourism while providing visitors with opportunities to experience the historic railway, mountain scenery and cultural richness of the Darjeeling hills.
A special run of Mukta Dhara will also be organised at Mahanadi Railway Station towards the end of September, ahead of its regular festival-season operations.
The initiative is expected to give tourism in the Darjeeling hills a further boost by combining heritage rail travel, steam technology, nature and local cultural experiences.