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Landslides
disrupt toy train service in West Bengal Siliguri:
Landslides in West Bengal have disrupted the movement of the world famous toy
train, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Darjeeling toy train
runs between Siliguri and Darjeeling. The train stopped operation from Tuesday
as heavy rains and severe landslides washed away a huge portion of the railway
track. A huge pile of debris has accumulated on the tracks, halting the operation
of the toy train. "In 80 km route from Siliguri junction to Darjeeling, we have
got landslides at 41 spots and total amount of muds and boulders is about 3500
cubic metres. We also have tree fallen on tracks at 16 spots. Out of the 16 spots,
two spots are very heavy because very big tree trunk has fallen on track. We have
got one location near Ghum where a portion of our track is washed away in between
two buildings," said Subrata Nath, director, Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR).
The DHR is trying hard to resume the journey at the earliest, but the service
is expected to resume not earlier than seven to ten days. "We are trying our best
to resume the services between new Jalpaiguri, Siliguri to Kerseong by Saturday.
That will cover around 50 km of our track. So around 60 km, we will be able to
make operational by this Saturday. And for the other one it may take another seven
to ten days," added Nath. 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.
-May
28, 2009 Go
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