Northeast Frontier Railway Introduces Two More Joy Ride Services in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, India - The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has announced the introduction of two additional joy ride services of toy trains in Darjeeling, starting from Saturday. This decision comes in response to the steady influx of summer tourists to the scenic hills of Darjeeling.

The joy rides between Darjeeling and Ghum railway stations are a popular attraction for tourists. These rides are facilitated by the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), a century-old mountain railway that has been recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO.

Sabyasachi De, the Chief Public Relations Officer of the NFR, stated, “We have introduced two special joy rides to be hauled by diesel locos, from today (Saturday). As of now, it has been decided to continue these two joy ride services till June 30.”

Typically, eight joy rides operate daily between Darjeeling and Ghum, which are 14km apart. The new services will add to this schedule. The first additional joy ride train will depart from Darjeeling at 11.25am and reach Ghum at 12.10pm. It will then leave Ghum at 12.30pm and return to Darjeeling by 1pm.

The second service will leave Darjeeling at 1.25pm, arrive at Ghum at 2.10pm, and then depart Ghum at 2.35pm to return to Darjeeling by 3.05pm.

Each of these joy rides will feature three first-class chair car coaches, allowing a total of 89 passengers to travel on each train.

This initiative by the NFR is expected to enhance the tourist experience in Darjeeling, offering more opportunities for visitors to enjoy the picturesque journey between Darjeeling and Ghum.