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Darjeeling
Himalayan toy train resumes run
Siliguri
(Bengal): The world famous toy train in Darjeeling
hills is back on tracks after it was suspended for 10
days following agitation for a separate Gorkha state.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) is on a roll to
attract as many tourists as possible across the globe.
The train, listed among UNESCO's World Heritage Sites,
passes through a number of picturesque locations including
'Batasia Loop' (the valley of storm), the tea gardens
of the Darjeeling Himalayas, the world's highest rail
station 'Ghoom' and many other locations covering the
forest lands of Terai. The operation of the train has
been severely curtailed in the last three years in the
wake of the agitation by the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM).
The train chugged again since February 19 after being
closed down on February 9. Despite the turmoil, the magnetic
charm of the world famous toy train brings back the tourists.
"It is a very famous train, and very wellknown train in
England. People know about it," said Mark James, a tourist
from United Kingdom. Ever since the GJM agitation rocked
the Darjeeling hills, the tourism industry in the region
received a major setback. Last year 16 charters and eight-winter
safaris had to be cancelled due to the agitation and strikes
in the hills. There has also been a steady drop in the
number of tourists. The DHR reports project a drop of
28 per cent in volume with mounting losses of rupees two
million. "Last year, I brought 42 people from all over
the world. We were unable to run because of the Gorkha
strike. One of our people comes back this year. I now
know that there was another strike last week. But we better
be sure we run for the next two days," said Andrew Nil,
the tour conductor from U.K. The DHR toy train was started
in 1896 by the then British Lieutenant Governor Ashley
Eden, offering riders an opportunity to enjoy the majestic
beauty of nature along the Darjeeling hills. At the beginning,
this railway was named as the Darjeeling steam Tramway
Co. Later when India gained independence in 1947, the
railway was named as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
(DHR). DHR was declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO
on December 5 at their 23rd session.
-Feb
23, 2009
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