The train at Batasia Loop near Ghoom. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, May 23: Engine 792 B has seen the DHR in all its avtars, from a goods train to a tourist attraction. In 1897, it used to ferry Darjeeling Tea along with a few English sahibs in its lone passenger coach. Today, it chugged uphill from Darjeeling to Ghoom pulling plush, carpeted compartments with on-board attendants.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has launched its latest project to woo tourists — evening rides on the toy train to Ghoom and back. Till now, the Darjeeling-Ghoom joy rides ran during the day.

Today, the train pulled out of Darjeeling station at 4.30pm with a crowd that included tourists, political leaders, hotel-owners and reporters. Smartly dressed attendants served them cups of Darjeeling Tea, chocolates, sandwiches, steaming vegetable momos and bottled drinking water, while a hastily put-together audio system played soothing music during the two-and-a-half-hour ride.

From tomorrow, the Siliguri-based KBS Tours and Travel, which is managing the project, will run two daily trains, one starting from Darjeeling town at 3pm and the other 5.30pm. The tickets will be priced at Rs 400 and Rs 500 respectively. The second trip will come with a dinner at the Darjeeling railway station.

“When I was told about the ticket prices, I thought it was a bit steep. However, this has turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime ride. Getting on a toy train pulled by a steam engine which meanders through the town and this scenic surrounding is mesmerising,” said Abhishek Khanna, a tourist from Meerut, during the ride.

The train stopped at Batasia Loop near Ghoom. The delegates paid homage to Gorkha heroes at the War Memorial, while tourists were treated to some folk dances. “From tomorrow, the dance will be organised at Ghoom station,” said KBS director Sanjoy Goswami.

The train returned to Darjeeling around 7pm. Dinner was, however, delayed after the organisers deciding to shift the venue from a nearby hall to the station’s terrace.