Bharath Darshan - Leisure

Top Mountain Railways of India

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (UNESCO World Heritage Site)


The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, with the nickname "the Toy Train," is a 610 mm (2 ft) narrow-gauge railway that links the 88 km (55 mi) between Siliguri railway station and Darjeeling railway station which is operated by Indian Railways., and its elevation starts at 100 m (330 ft) in Siliguri and rises to about 2,200 m (7,200 ft) at Darjeeling. The highest elevation is at Ghoom station, 2,300 m (7,500 ft).Darjeeling is a popular hill station in West Bengal state.

Nilgiri Mountain Railway (UNESCO World Heritage Site)


The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46 km (29 mi) metre gauge single-line railway. It is 46 km (29 mi) long and connects the town of Mettupalayam with the hill station of Udagamandalam (Ooty). The route is located within the state of Tamil Nadu and travels through the Nilgiri Hills, which are popularly known as the Blue Mountains of Southern India. The Nilgiri is the only rack railway in India, and it uses an Abt rack system. The ABT system requires use of special steam locomotives. The line contains 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and 250 bridges, causing the uphill journey along the route to take about 290 min (4.8 h), while the downhill journey takes 215 min (3.6 h). This is a truly amazing journey that takes tourists from a height of 1069 feet to 7228 feet which covers Mettupalayam, Kellar, Coonoor, Wellington, Lovedale, Ooty.

Kalka–Shimla Railway (UNESCO World Heritage Site)


The Kalka–Shimla Railway runs between Kalka station and Shimla station. The railway is 95.66 km (59.44 mi) long, and its gauge is narrow 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) which has 103 tunnels and 864 bridges. Shimla is the modern capital of Himachal Pradesh and is at an elevation of 2,205 m (7,234 ft) in the foothills of the Himalayas. The tracks climb from 656 m (2,152 ft) to a peak elevation of 2,076 m (6,811 ft) at Shimla. Shimla became the summer capital of British India in 1864, and it also served as the headquarters of the British Army in India. Famous hill station in Himalayan range in India

Matheran Hill Railway


The Matheran Hill Railway and goes for 21 km (13 mi) between Neral and Matheran, in the Western Ghats.  It is administered by Central Railways. The train takes two and a half hours to reach the top of the hill as it has to slowly crawl up in a zigzag

Kangra Valley Railway


The Kangra Valley Railway lies in the sub-Himalayan region and covers a distance of 163 km (101 mi) between Pathankot and Joginder Nagar, an area known for its nature and ancient Hindu shrines. The highest point on this line is at Ahju station at an elevation of 1,291 m (4,236 ft), and the terminus at Joginder Nagar is at 1,189 m (3,901 ft) which is part of the Northern Railway and is made with a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) gauge. It is popularly known as the Kangra Toy Train.

Jammu–Baramulla line 


The Jammu–Baramulla line is a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) railway line being built in India to connect the state of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. The railway starts from Jammu and will travel to Baramulla. The route crosses major earthquake zones and is subjected to extreme temperatures of cold and heat, as well as inhospitable terrain, making it a challenging engineering project. The railway line has been under construction since 2002, when it was declared a national project. It will link the state's winter capital, Jammu, with the summer capital, Srinagar, and beyond. There will be 30 stations and they will be served several times a day

Lumding–Badarpur section


The Lumding–Badarpur section in Assam is a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) railway line from Lumding to Badarpur . It has numerous bridges and tunnels. The total route length is 210 km (130 mi). The section traverses the Barail mountains.

Top Hill stations in India

Top Heritage Sites in India