The Parallel Roadtrips : Riding with one of the world’s highest railway systems, The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Photos : Sunny, SunilG, Bunny

Me and Sunil woke up at 8 AM in the morning. The team still wasn’t sure whether to ride to Darjeeling or straight to Siliguri. It was in a matter of two minutes that we found out the timings of the World Heritage Railway system, The Darjeeling Toy Train. It was supposed to depart at 9.15 AM from the Siliguri Station. Soon enough me and Sunil raced to the station only to find out that the tickets have to be reserved in order to get onto the train. Smooth talking and the flexible laws saw us sitting in the toy train running on a narrow gauge. For a history on the train and its importance see this page on the net. ( Again, we remind you that we are not creating an encyclopedia of facts, but an kaleidoscope of our experiences while riding through India by road. ).

Originally, the GIR was meant to be only two wheels trip. It still is. But like any other great thing it does require complementary modes of transport to make it successful. First it was our backup four wheeler carrying spares etc. Then it were the planes that shuttled us from odd cities and back from Delhi with important resources that we required in the middle of the trip And finally it is a toy train which runs at the average speed of 10kmph from Siliguri to Darjeeling. It is a train and runs on tracks, but the tracks run along and across the normal roads which people use to drive to Darjeeling. So, we still were sticking to the road.

I could never imagine that I will see Bunny and Gasoline riding besides a train with me in it. And me and Bunny exchanging eatables with me while being on the run. It is a stupendous experience. I am writing this blog on my laptop from within the toy train. We are passing through a village with people shops on either side and fair people with rosy cheeks in the increasing cold as we ascend at the ‘breathtaking’ speed of 10kmph. From young school kids running besides the train to huge trucks screeching to a dead stop and allowing the train to pass through busy streets, it is a moving museum of the culture and beauty of this region of West Bengal and the Himalayas, into which we are going.

Imagine touching people sitting in their home balconies while you are in the train. Imagine getting off the train and walking to get a quick chocolate and hopping back on to the train again. It was a big deal for us seeing all this and it seemed a big deal for the locals who waved at the passengers in the whole train, specially children.

Just before Darjeeling there is India’s highest train station : Ghoom. By the time we reached there it was 5 PM and was very very cold.

Yes, we were in proper Himalayas now.

Besides being an engineering feat it is also a perfect way to spend 8 hours with your loved one.

At SiliGuri Station

GasolineJunkie as a hostage

The Blaze and the train riding together

Reflections

Through Forests