The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, opened in 1880, is an
engineering feat. This little railway has a gauge of 2 ft. and a length of
fifty-one miles, with steep gradients and amazing loops.
Work on building the line began in May 1879, and
in March, 1880, the Viceroy of India, Lord Lytton, had a journey on the train.
In August 1880, the line was opened for passenger and goods traffic as far as
Kurseong, 4,864 ft. above the sea and thirty-two miles from Siliguri. In July
1881, the line was opened throughout to Darjeeling station.
On December 2, 1999, the Darjeeling Himalayan
Railway became the second railway site in the world to be designated a World
Heritage site. The railway has been added as a world heritage site with
“outstanding universal value” by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.
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