Darjeeling toy train starts chugging again

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The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) or Toy Train has resumed services on an experimental basis on a 35-km track between Siliguri and Sukna, an official said on Sunday.

The DHR, which has incurred an estimated loss of Rs 2.5 crore as a fallout of the Gorkhaland agitation, is carrying out inspections along the entire length of the track.

"We have started services on an experimental basis from Siliguri to Sukna. We will notify soon and passengers may be allowed to board again," Northeast Frontier Railway's (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma told IANS.

"Inspection is being done by different departments on every inch of the track between Siliguri and Darjeeling and we hope that after we get a clearance from them we can run regular services after October 25," Sharma said.

The UNESCO granted world heritage status to the DHR in December 1999. The hill passenger railway started operations in 1881.

--IANS

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