Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway
| Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway | ||
|---|---|---|
 1942 map | ||
| Line of route | ||
| Siliguri to Darjeeling Siliguri to Kalimpong Road Siliguri to Kishanganj | ||
| Gauge / mileage | ||
| 2' 0" NG | 51 miles (1905) 147 miles (1943) | |
| Timeline | ||
| 1879 | Company formed | |
| 1880 | First section opened to traffic | |
| 1881 | Line opened through to Darjeeling | |
| 1913 | Extension to Kishanganj planned | |
| 1948 | Nationalisation | |
| Key locations | ||
| Presidency | Bengal | |
| Stations | Siliguri, Sukna, Rangtong, Chunbatti, Tindharia, Gayabari, Mahanadi, Kurseong, Tung, Dilaran, Sonada, Rangbul, Jor Bungalow, Ghum, Darjeeling Kalimpong Road, Kishanganj | |
| System agency | ||
| 1880 | Own agency | |
| 1952 | North Eastern Railway (IR zone) | |
| 1958 | Northeast Frontier Railway (IR zone) | |
| How to interpret this infobox | ||
The Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway (DHR), a 2ft/610mm narrow gauge(NG) line dating from 1879 and still powered by steam, is today a major tourist destination and UNESCO World Heritage site.
History
Originally known as the Darjeeling Steam Tramway this 2ft Narrow Gauge(NG) steam tramway and largely ran in the road. Hence the appropriate name. 'Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co' constructed the railway.
The stretch from Siliguri to Kurseong was opened on 23 August 1880, while the official opening of the line up to Darjeeling was on 4 July 1881. [1].
See Darjeeling Steam Tramway for information before 1881
The name changed to the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway Company on the company being formed on 15th September 1881.Built between 1879 and 1881, the original line ran (and still does) for 51 miles from Siliguri (about 100m in altitude) to Darjeeling (about 2200m).
In 1913, the system was extended from Siliguri south-westwards to Kishanganj. There was also a short branch from Siliguri to Kalimpong Road. Technically, these extensions were a separate company, worked by the agency of the first. [2]
As an assisted railway, the DHR fell into the control of Indian Railways (IR) after independence. Between 1948 and 1950, the Kishanganj branch was converted to metre gauge and transferred, as part of the Assam Rail Link, to the Assam Railway. In 1952, the DHR became part of North Eastern Railway but in 1958 it was transferred to the newly formed Northeast Frontier Railway, an IR zone.
Records
Refer to FIBIS Fact File #4: “Research sources for Indian Railways, 1845-1947” - available from the Fibis shop. This Fact File contains invaluable advice on 'Researching ancestors in the UK records of Indian Railways' with particular reference to the India Office Records (IOR) held at the British Library
An on-line search of the IOR records relating to this railway (DHR) and the DHR Extensions [3] gives 6 references. The most important being:-
- L/F/8/17/1291 “Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway Company Limited, Agreement; 1913 “
- L/F/8/20/1673 “Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company Limited, Supplemental Agreement; 1922”
External links
- "Welcome to the DHRS" Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society.
- "Darjeeling Himalayan Railway" Wikipedia.
- "N F Railway" Wikipedia.
- "A Himilayan loop line" Mike's Railway History.
- Indian Hill Railways - The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway youtube.com. One hour BBC documentary film.
Historical books online
Gallery
-
View of the double loop -
Darjeeling Railway. Reversing Station
References
- ↑ Wikipedia “Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway”; Retrieved 24 Dec 2017
- ↑ " Administration Report on the Railways in India – corrected up to 31st March 1918"; Superintendent of Government Printing, Calcutta; page 239-240; Retrieved 17 Dec 2015
- ↑ British Library “British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue” - Search; Retrieved 20 Jan 2016