hill railways of india

"Travel By Train -Spend Time in The Hills" Slogan Painted on a Station Wall On The Jalpaiguri -Darjeeling Line.

By the middle of the nineteenth century, the Britishers had discovered that the best way to beat the heat of the Indian summer was to simply escape from the plains into the mountains. Beautiful, habitable locales were "discovered" -identified and developed as resorts and hill stations. At first the Sahibs travelled to these remote and exotic spots in bullock carts and palanquins, but, in time, five remarkably distinctive railway systems were built to carry people up to these resorts. The places that were selected as departure points were close to the major cities -Matheran for Mumbai, Ootacamund for Chennai, Shimla and Kangra for Delhi and Darjeeling for Calcutta. Each of these five hill railways -the British with characteristic understatement tended to refer even to the mighty Himalayas as "hills" -are unique, overcoming the challenges thrown up by nature in their own distinctive way. The Abt rack and pinion system help the train move up to Ootacamund, while the Shimla line relies on the raw power of heavy engineering. On the Matheran line, the curves were made incredibly sharp. The Darjeeling railway, now a World Heritage, on the other hand, uses a combination of open air spirals and zig zags. In the case of Kangra Valley railway, engineers have chosen to straighten the turnings.

Today, these five rail systems are more than just modes of public transport. The restored engines and toy trains, chugging up impossible slopes on their narrow gauge, are a perennial source of wonder and joy. Not only do they restore the romance of rail travel of a bygone era, but they also serve as living and moving reminders of a historic moment -a moment when the technological west and the exotic east came together to create an experience that remains the high point, in more senses than one, of all those who travel in India.

The Toy Train Journey : Spirals and Zig Zags

A not to be missed experience is to arrive in Darjeeling on what is surely the most famous and the most spectacular steam railway in the world. New Jalpaiguri, 86 km from Darjeeling the starting point, and the zig zag journey over steep gradients and around sharp curves takes 8 to10 hours.The journey lodges itself in the mind forever as the eye ranges over peaks, valleys, gorges, terraced fields, villages and temples perched precariously in the folds of the mountains.

The Delightful Toy Train Journey up the Hill

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, which takes one to Ootacamund in about 4 and l/2 hours, continues to amaze and delight as one of the oldest and the steepest, fully operational rack and adhesion rail systems in the world. The train starts its journey from Mettupalayam, small town on the banks of the river Bhavani. The line is meter gauge, practically level for the first 5 miles or so. The rack system commences just after Kellar and in the next 12 miles to Coonoor the line rises an astonishing 4,363 feet curving continuously as it clings to the mountainside going through nine tunnels blasted through the hard rock. The journey affords spectacular views of the eastern slopes of the forested Nilgiri. On the way up, the views are best from the left side. Soon after Coonoor comes Wellington to be followed by Lovedale situated at 7,000 feet. This stretch is peaceful and romantic and the train gently chugs through the quiet woods and gentle hills on its way to Ootacamund. The 116 km journey takes 4 to 4 and1/2 hours and the train crosses 250 bridges and 16 tunnels en route.

Journey up The Hill

The journey begins from Neral. The climb begins soon after Hardal Hill. Near the Jammapatti Station, the rail and the road almost come together. They part company and meet again beyond the steep slope of Bhekra Kund. From here a very interesting portion comes into view. We see the Horseshoe embarkment constructed near Mount Barry. Round this, the line runs for a mile in the north direction till it turns back through the only tunnel on the route. The line then runs beneath Mount Barry.

Immediately afterwards, the line zig zags sharply backwards and forwards twice, passing through two deep cuttings. From here on, the line pushes its way more decorously and reaches out straight for Panorama Point. It returns by Simpson Tank and terminates close to Matheran Bazaar.

Kangra Valley Hill Railway

Kangra Valley Railway is a reminder that despite difficult terrain, railway engineers can create a work, which exists in harmony with natural beauty of the locale. By skillful avoiding awkward corners the railway engineers were able to straighten the turnings. On May 2, 1926, the then Governor of Punjab, cut the first sod of this 164 kms, 21/2 feet gauge line. Three years later on April 1,1929, the 100 mile line constructed in rough terrain and hostile weather was opened for traffic. There are 20 crossing stations, 7 passenger halts, 971 bridges on this line.

Starting from Pathankot the line runs parallel to the road for the 16 miles. Ahju, at 1210 meters is the highest point on the line. From Mangwal to Kangra, travelers have the privilege of being exposed to a memorable view of the majestic grandeur of the Himalayas. As Palampur approaches the snow capped peaks cast a mesmerizing spell on the passengers. From there, the line runs parallel to the Dhaula Dhar Range. Near Baijnath the train makes its way through the gorgeous pines of Bhir Gorge. Next comes Bathu Khand. Between this and Kangra are the two tunnels. The one at Dhundni is only 250 feet long and the other one at Daulatpur is 1,000 feet in length. The line does not pass through the Kangra Town as it is separated from it by a big cleft in the hills.

A Journey into the Clouds

The best way to appreciate the grandeur of the 96 km long and 2.6 feet narrow gauge track as it climbs through the foot hills of the Himalayas, is to travel by the toy train. The line was opened for traffic on November 9, 1903. About 70 percent of the track is on curves and at times, as the train chugs ahead, it is possible to see the front part of the train while the back part is still at the far end of the curve. On this particular journey, the train passes through 103 tunnels and over 869 bridges. Usually the train sails right through the tiny stations. However, a 15 minute halt is made at Barog, where the restaurant is reputed to be one of the best of any station in India. The other major station Solan, is in the middle of a brewery. The Shimla station itself has a magnificent view of the mountains.