The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) will soon launch a new service for students between Ghoom and Darjeeling to help them avoid the massive traffic jams Darjeeling is experiencing currently during the peak tourist season.
Commuters have complained that it takes them almost three hours to cover the 8km stretch between Ghoom and Darjeeling. There have been instances of students missing school because of traffic snarls.
Vehicles taking tourists to view the sunrise at Tiger Hill start plying early.
“We plan to introduce a special student train from next week. The train will ply in the morning and evening to coincide with school timings,” Rishabh Choudhary, director of the DHR, told The Telegraph.
Ghoom is a major choke point as all major roads from Siliguri, Kurseong, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Mirik and fringe areas like Munpoo and Takdah converge there.
Politicians and administrators have spoken about the need for another road through Lebong — the opposite end of Darjeeling — especially during tourist season.
Raju Bista, the BJP MP of Darjeeling, had said last year that he had received an official communication from Union minister of state for road transport and highways, Ajay Tamta, confirming that a consultant has been engaged to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for alternative connectivity to Darjeeling town and Teesta, via Lebong and Dawaipani.
The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has mentioned plans for a route connecting Lebong with 3rd Mile.
The routes, however, have not materialised despite years of assurance.
Some residents in Darjeeling have been demanding that the joy ride services in the Darjeeling-Ghoom-Darjeeling route be suspended and a similar ride be introduced along the Ghoom-Batasia or Ghoom-Sonada stretch.
The DHR lines run parallel to the Ghoom-Darjeeling road in several places, and 13 joy rides, including nine diesel and four steam engine rides, ply in a day.
Referring to this demand, Choudhary said: “I have not received any such proposal from the district administration, but such a move could hamper the DHR’s world heritage status and place the hill railway under fresh review (by Unesco for the heritage tag).”
DHR was accorded the world heritage tag by Unesco in 1999.
Choudhary added that DHR was also a major tourist puller in Darjeeling.DHR recorded a passenger footfall of 2,15,432 in 2025–26, compared to 1,83,003 in 2024–25. The revenue also increased from ₹22.12 crore to ₹25.37 crore.