Through lush, green forests filled with diverse flora and fauna or above the rushing waters of rivers and the calm lakes or even, over the tall mountains. Being the seventh largest country in India, it should come as no surprise the range of terrains that such a place contains. With a route length of around 62,800 kms, the Indian railway track meanders through some of the most dreamy landscapes the country has. The Indian railways are so impressive, that some of them have even made it onto the UNESCO world heritage site. Known as Mountain railways of India, these are a group of three railways.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Out of all the three railways to gain UNESCO status as mountain railways, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first. All threen railways got their world heritage status under the criterion two and four of UNESCO. These are representations of technological advancements of the time as well as the show of significance of transfer in cultural knowledge. The Darjeeling railway started in 1881. This was during the time of British colonials. The Britishers, who came to India would often not be able to bear the scorching heat of India’s climate. Hill stations such as Darjeeling were a reprieve for them. As Darjeeling became more popular for the Britishers, tourism increased and the railway from the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal to the highest altitude of Darjeeling at 2,073m. Besides boosting tourism, the introduction of this train track also led to the boost in economy for the mountain regions that are isolated from the mainland and a drastic decrease in commodity prices.
One of the conditions that was given by UNESCO was that the train that operates on these tracks should always be a steam engine operated train. And true to their word, even today they run a few steam trains while the others operate by diesel. Riders can choose between the steam engine and the diesel. All information about train timings and specifics are provided on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway website. There are even heritage coaches that offer you the experience that the Britishers that visited India at that time had! According to the DHR website, the oldest coach on line dates back to the year 1917.
So why are these mountain railways considered a technical marvel and what is so special about the darjeeling railway? For one, it was built in an economic manner by using a 610mm gauge train. Due to its small size, this is also called the toy train. The entire route uses a total of 3 loops and 5 reverses. It was declared a world heritage site in 1999. Only later when the other two sites were added, it became known as one of the mountain railways of India. If one cannot appreciate the engineering ingenuity, then one should at least go for the breathtaking scenes that this train ride has to offer.
Nilgiri Mountain Railways
The Nilgiris, a part of the western ghats which is probably a range most known for its highest peak Udagamandalam. Or Ooty, the name by which it is better known. Unlike the two other railways that are located in the northern part of India, the Nilgiri Mountain Railways are situated in the southern part of the country. The use of rack and pinion arrangement for the construction of this train track made it one of a kind in the world of train tracks. It is the only rack train present in India. Though the track was first proposed in 1854, it was only thirty seven years later that the work actually started. This was due to the difficult terrain of the area. The railway track scales from an elevation of 326 metres to an elevation of 2,203 metres.
From Mettupalayam to Ooty, this train gives you picturesque scenes of hills and valleys through the train window. It goes through two hundred and fifty bridges, sixteen tunnels and thick forest filled with flora and fauna unique to the western ghats that are on their own, an other heritage site. A 1000mm gauge train, the track is a total of 46 kms. The tracks were built on very steep slopes. The slope gradient across the mountain railways is 1 to 12.5. Like the Darjeeling train, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway also has a steam locomotive that is still in operation. The site was declared a world heritage by UNESCO in the year 2005.
Kalka Shimla Railways
Moving back to the Himalayas, this is the most recent addition to the list of mountain railways. Also a narrow gauge with a width of 762mm, this train runs from Kalka to Shimla. This train passes through a total of one hundred and two tunnels, nine hundred and eighty eight bridges and some of the most stunning views while also providing glimpses of villages in the mountains as well as their lifestyle. Truly the entire package. The entire railway track is a single track of 96.6 kms length. This railway is also host to the world’s highest multi-arc gallery bridge.
Not just a testimony to engineering, these mountain railways offer nature’s best views and windows into the various cultures of India. Vacations don’t always need to be spent in hotels. If you have a weekend to get away then try planning your next holiday to experience a day full of travel and pretty sights more than eyes can grasp on one of these trains. Check out the respective websites of the trains for more information on booking, travelling and fares for the train.
Reference List:
- Centre, U.W.H. (n.d.). Mountain Railways of India. [online] UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/944.
- Thapar, R. and Allchin, F.R. (n.d.). India – Railways and roads | Britannica. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/place/India/Railways-and-roads [Accessed 13 June. 2024].
- www.dhr.in.net. (n.d.). Darjeeling Himalayan Railway :: About Us. [online] Available at: https://www.dhr.in.net/about-us.php [Accessed 14 June. 2024].
- INDIAN CULTURE. (n.d.). Mountain Railways of India. [online] Available at: https://indianculture.gov.in/unesco/heritage-sites/mountain-railways-india [Accessed 14 June. 2024].
- Travel. (2018). A Guide to the Mountain Railways of India. [online] Available at: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/article/mountain-railways-india.
