New attraction for tourists on board the DHR

Darjeeling, May 22: Steaming momos, folk music and Darjeeling in the twilight — tourists to this hill town can now experience all this on board the toy train.

For the first time in its history, the more-than-a-century-old Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is set to chug uphill to Ghoom and back late in the evening.

“We have decided to start the evening services from tomorrow. We have hired a travel agent to run the show and there will be lot of additional services on offer,” Subrata Nath, the director of the DHR, told The Telegraph over the phone from Siliguri.

The two rides will start at 3pm and 5.30pm respectively and will have attendants on-board and folk songs playing over speakers fitted in each coach.

To top it all, those who take the 5.30 train can look forward to a sumptuous dinner on the terrace of the Darjeeling railway station once the ride ends.

“The on-board attendants will serve mineral water, chocolates, sandwiches, tea or coffee and steaming momos to the passengers as soon as the ride starts. The three coaches will also have music systems that will play local folk songs to capture the essence of the culture of the Himalayas,” said Sanjoy Goswami, the director of the Siliguri-based KBS Tours and Travels, which will run the services for the railways for five years.

The venue for a cultural dance is also being worked out and the performance is likely to be held at the famous Batasia Loop where the train will stop for about 10 minutes.

“People in Darjeeling do not have much to do in the evenings and these services are expected to boost tourism in a big way,” said Debashish Mukherjee, the manager of the travel agency.

Once the second train returns from Ghoom, one of the highest railway stations in the world, dinner will be served. “We will lay out a buffet for our clients that will consist of both vegetarian and non- vegetarian cuisine. However, there will be no dinner for those taking the 3pm ride as it will be too early,” said Goswami.

The DHR, which was declared a world heritage site by the Unesco in 1999, already has two joy rides from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back which start at 10.40am and 1.20pm respectively. However, these do not have attendants on board or any of the other services that will come with the night safari.

While the normal joy ride costs Rs 240 for each person, the night safaris will be a little more expensive. “We will charge Rs 400 for the 3pm ride. The other one, which will include dinner, will cost Rs 500,” said Goswami.

The three coaches with carpeted floors can carry 60 passengers in total.

Neither the DHR officials nor the representatives of KBS agreed to disclose how the profits would be shared. However, sources said the new rides should give a financial boost to the DHR, which runs on an annual loss of around Rs 7 crore.