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Travel
Ever travelled in the narrow gauge trains of the mountain railways of India? The chugging steam engines bellowing big clouds of smoke that curls as it rises to create aerial artistry make the journey a lyrical experience. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway exude an old world charm that tugs your heart. Declared as Unesco World Heritage site, the three mountain railway trains of India are more than a century old and still retain the colonial hangover and the elegance of a bygone era. Fully functional and operational with few modifications, these continue to mesmerise with the engineering feat accomplished in the late 19th century. As the attractive toy trains trudge their way uphill from the verdant plains at the mountain foothills to vistas of green plantations and dense forests, the panoramic views unspool like reels of a film. Negotiating the various curves, bridges or tunnels; you can marvel at the engineering skills and salute the hard labour that made the dream a reality impacting the respective regions socially and economically. It was a bold move and great technical effort to establish rail links across the treacherous mountainous terrain. In due course of time the tracks have been re-laid, some station buildings have undergone reconstruction and new engines introduced, still the essence of century-old-history is retained. Kalka-Shimla Railway
"The Kalka-Shimla Railway represents an exceptional technical achievement in the development of the Himalayan mountains because of its length, its altitude and the difficulty of the terrain through which it runs in difficult climatic conditions," is engraved on a stone plaque at the picturesque Barog station en route to Shimla from Kalka. The prettiest station situated in the cleft of mountains at 6,000 feet is a welcoming halt for refreshments. You could just relax and enjoy the cool breeze sweeping the abundant oak and pine trees and appreciate the legacy of the British Raj. Wind the clock backward and simply imagine the fair British maidens, smart soldiers and the hoi-polloi of British elite making their way to the summer capital on this route. The KSR is a heritage to cherish with its mind-blowing 102 tunnels and building 864 bridges on a 96.6-km single track route winding through the mountains. Inaugurated in November 9, 1903, and completed at a cost of Rs 1.71 crore, the line begins at 2,100 feet at Kalka ascending a convoluted route to 6811 feet at Shimla. There are some pretty sharp curves, a total of 917, a few bending sharply at 48 degrees. It has the world’s highest multi-arc gallery bridge and had the world’s longest railway tunnel at that time. Shimla had gained considerable political importance as the summer residence of British Indian Government and rail connectivity was inevitable. It had initially four travel classes and lots of luxurious saloon cars as the British elite made way to the salubrious Queen of Hills. You should not fret if the deteriorating flora and concrete houses mar the scenic beauty at Parwanoo, lying in the low rolling Shivalik hills just off the Kalka station. Past Sonwara the spectacular arch gallery bridge having five tier galleries made in stone masonry will lift your mood and the howling wind as you enter the umpteen tunnels will soar your spirits, as you inhale that pine scented mountain air. The sound of the swish of whistling winds could well spark off long discussions on acoustics and principles of physics till the towering cedars welcomes you to Shimla. Himalayan Queen and Shivalik Express operate between Kalka and Shimla. FACTFILE Luxury segment: The Deluxe Rail Motor Car (14 passengers) and the Shivalik Deluxe Express (120 passengers) with fare around Rs 340 per head with complimentary meal at Barog. There are also luxury coaches like ‘The Shivalik Place’ or ‘The Shivalik Queen Tourist coach’.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The lovely blue and cream Nilgiri train is a tourist’s delight as well as a regular mode of transport of the locals. Even during rains, the train chugs along the Western Ghats climbing the Nilgiris lovingly called the Blue Mountains and you will find many daily commuters. However, it captivated the fancy of the entire nation when Shah Rukh Khan danced atop its roof to the peppy beats of "Chaiyya Chaiyya" in Dil Se. The sweeping grasslands and rolling uplands with lovely mist shrouded stations in between the ride bring back the nostalgia of British era with its Victorian architecture. With stations named Hill Grove, Wellington and Lovedale, the romance is in the air as scent of eucalyptus and cool breeze passes by. NMR was proposed to replace the tedious ascent of the Nilgiris by bullock carts or ponies to Coonoor. Proposed in 1854, started in 1891, it was completed in 1908. The latest technology of the time was used then with the use of rack-and-pinion traction arrangement to negotiate steep gradient. The 45.88-km-long metre-gauge single-track railway scales a gradient of 326 m to 2203 m. It takes about five hours from Mettupalaiyam to Udagamandalam (Ooty). For tourists a trip from Ooty to Coonoor will be a good joy ride for an hour and half. As you start from Mettupalaiyam, the betel-nut plantations and other plantations greet you in the plains till Kallar. Then the ascent starts through tropical forest beyond Kallar where you will find the rack section of the railway line. As you reach Coonoor (1,712 m) you would have negotiated 208 curves, 13 tunnels and 27 viaducts. The tropical vegetation will give way to eucalyptus and acacia forest as the train ascends the Nilgiris towards Ooty. You will cross three more tunnels. The NMR has composite bridges like the Kallar Bridge over River Bhawani. What is amazing is the twin track that precariously clings to the plummeting hillside while the train chugs along the various viaducts over gurgling mountain streams and roaring rivers. FACTFILE Fare: There are many train services daily from Ooty (Udagamandalam) to Mettupalaiyam that take about three and half hours. The fare is about Rs 24 (II class) and ~142 (I class). Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
If you witness a long queue at the quaint little Darjeeling railway station, it surely would be for a two-hour joy ride in the toy train to and fro Darjeeling to Ghoom (2258 metres), the highest railway station in India. During the season, the waiting period can be two to three days. Tourists apart the toy train is still an effective mode of transport for the hill folks for over a century and has also captivated the imagination of Bollywood. Running parallel to NH 55 and the Hill Cart road, the rail tracks criss-crosses the roads at several points and its snail pace let travellers enjoy hopping up and down the train. Sometimes the steam-loco drawn trains tend to skid in steep gradients and an attendant then sprinkles sand to overcome the problem.
It is a delightful vista for the tourists, as the toy train negotiates a graceful circle at Batasia loop with the spectacular snow-covered mighty Kangchenjunga in the background. As marigolds bloom, the war memorial at the centre commemorating the martyr of Gorkha soldiers stands tall. You will marvel at the lengthening of the line done by innovative design of six zigzag reverses and three loops along the track so there was no need to bore any tunnels. Formerly a part of the kingdom of Sikkim, the British annexed Darjeeling in 1858 and as its importance grew as a burgeoning tea industry and the road transport being inadequate, a steam railway was proposed. Initially the 88.48-km, 610-mm narrow gauge track from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling with 11 stations in between the duo was constructed in 1879-1881. Today the toy train operates between Darjeeling and Kurseong covering distance of 31 km in three hours with a lovely view of sprawling tea gardens and alpine Himalayas. For tourists there are regular DHR joy rides services with diesel or steam engines. It still retains the famous B-class steam engines and the original four-wheeled and bogie-type carriages. FACTFILE Passenger train services: River view passenger train: Kurseong-Darjeeling Teesta Rangeet passenger: Mahanadi-Darjeeling Special trains ‘Jungle Safari’ (Siliguri-Tindharia); tourist groups can charter steam charter trains with steam locomotive.
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