5 Best Mountain Railways (Toy Trains) of India

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first of the three major mountain railways to be constructed, and is still considered a prime example of a hill passenger railway. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the "Toy Train", is a 2 ft narrow-gauge railway that runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in the Indian state of West Bengal, India. Opened in 1881, Darjeeling's design applies unique engineering techniques to establish an effective locomotive link across mountainous terrain.

 

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 46-km long meter-gauge single-track railway in the Tamil Nadu state. The project was first proposed in 1854, but was postponed due to the challenges presented by the region's severe topography; work on the Nilgiri did not begin until 1891 and the route was not completed until 1908. The elevation of the tracks ranges from 326 to 2,203 m, and represents the most advanced technology of its time.

Kalka Shimla Railway

The Kalka Shimla Railway is a 96-km long, single track working rail link completed in 1903, and was the last of India's mountain railways to be designated as World Heritage Site. The route was built to provide access to the highland town of Shimla, and is emblematic of the technical and physical efforts taken to connect mountain populations to the rest of India.

 

Kangra Valley Railway

The Kangra Valley Railway lies in the sub-Himalayan region of Kangra Valley and covers a distance of 164 km (101.9 mi) from Pathankot, Punjab to Jogindernagar in Himachal Pradesh, India. The Kangra valley railway comes under the Firozpur division of Northern Railway. The railway line was planned in May 1926 and commissioned in 1929. This unique line had just two tunnels, one of which is only 250 ft (76 m) and the other 1,000 ft (300 m) in length. 

 

Matheran Hill Railway

Matheran Hill Railway is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railway in Maharashtra, India. The railways comes under the administration of the Central Railways. The railway covers a distance of 21 km (13.05 mi), over large swathes of forest territory connecting Neral to Matheran in the Western Ghats. UNESCO is considering giving world heritage status to the Matheran Hill Railway The Neral–Matheran Light Railway was built between 1901 and 1907 by Abdul Hussein Adamjee Peerbhoy, financed by his father, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy at a cost of Rs 16 lakh. Presently the services of this train are stopped due to the risks of possible mishaps.