## Policy Summary: Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) and National Highway 10 (NH10)
This document summarizes information provided to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 55 on July 23, 2025, regarding the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) and its proximity to National Highway 10 (NH10).
The DHR, an 88 km narrow gauge railway connecting New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, was constructed in 1881 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 5, 1999. Approximately 55 km of the DHR line shares the same formation as NH10. During peak season, 15 daily services operate, including 13 joy rides between Darjeeling and Ghum, and 2 full-service trains.
While the sectional speed is 15-20 kmph, a speed restriction of 5 kmph is imposed in densely populated areas for safety. These locations include:
* Kurseong station to Tourist Lodge (200 meters)
* Rangbull Ropeway to Rangbull Phatak (264 meters)
* Jorebunglow to Pasang Building (400 meters)
* Dali to Meri Resort (100 meters)
* SBI ATM to Darjeeling Station (100 meters)
At these locations, trains are manually piloted with railway staff using flags and whistles to warn pedestrians. Signboards are placed at crossings, and railway safety awareness campaigns are conducted for locals, vendors, and tourists throughout the year.
Key Entities Referenced
Ghum: A location between Darjeeling and New Jalpaiguri where joy rides operate.
Ashwini Vaishnaw: The Minister of Railways, Information Broadcasting and Electronics Information Technology.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway: A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a narrow-gauge railway connecting New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling.
UNESCO World Heritage Site: A designation given to Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in 1999, recognizing its unique nature.
National Highway 10: A national highway that overlaps or runs parallel to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in certain areas.
New Jalpaiguri: A city in West Bengal, India, and a starting point of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
Darjeeling: A city in West Bengal, India, and the terminating point of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
Kurseong: A location along the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway route where speed restrictions are imposed.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 55
TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025
DARJEELING HIMALAYAN RAILWAY
*55 SMT. JUNE MALIAH:
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), a
UNESCO world heritage site passes through several congested areas
along National Highway-10;
(b) if so, the names of such congested areas or stretches where that
alignment overlaps with or runs parallel to NH-10;
(c) the approximate length (in kilometres) of the DHR route that runs
along NH-10; and
(d) the total length of NH-10 (Darjeeling-Siliguri Road) and the percentage
of this highway alignment that is occupied or overlapped by the
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway track?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND
ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
******STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 55 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.07.2025.
(a) to (d) The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is a 88 km long Narrow
Gauge (2 feet wide) railway line which connects New Jalpaiguri to
Darjeeling. This line was constructed in 1881. About 55 km of line was
constructed on same formation as that of NH-110.
Due to its unique nature, this railway line was declared a UNESCO World
Heritage Site on 5th December 1999. It was the first hill railway in India
to get this recognition.
During the peak season, 15 services are operated daily on this line. These
include 13 joy rides between Darjeeling and Ghum and 2 full-service
trains.
The sectional speed of the line is 15/20 kmph. However, at locations
where the line passes through dense areas, speed restriction of 5 km/h
has been imposed from safety considerations. The details of such
locations are as under:
Kurseong station to Tourist Lodge (200 meters)
Rangbull Ropeway to Rangbull Phatak (264 meters)
Jorebunglow to Pasang Building (400 meters)
Dali to Meri Resort (100 meters)
SBI ATM to Darjeeling Station (100 meters)
At above locations, the trains are piloted manually. One railway staff
walks ahead of trains and carries flags and whistles to warn people.
Signboards are also placed at crossings to alert the public.
Awareness drives to make locals, vendors, and tourists aware about
railway safety are also held throughout the year.
*****