GTA chief pledges support to protesters after toy train accident
Hundreds of people staged a dharna (demonstration) in Kurseong since morning, protesting the death of a 15-year-old girl, who was hit by a toy train.
Hundreds of people staged a dharna (demonstration) in Kurseong since morning, protesting the death of a 15-year-old girl, who was hit by a toy train.
"The 'Steam Jungle Tea Safari' Toy Train service has been planned to run on a regular basis depending on demand. It is provided with the facilities of a Vistadome coach and hauled by the heritage steam engine. The Toy Train travels through the scenic beauty of tea gardens, apart from the breathtaking views of the lower Himalayan hills
We request people all over to support this cause and join us in the protest. We will also be holding signature campaigns, along with an online one, against it. We want the Centre to stop this process of privatisation,"
There will be 17 seats in the first class and 29 seats in the vista dome coach for passengers in three coaches hauled by the diesel loco. A parcel van has been included in the Toy Train after a gap of 30 years. The fare for a seat in the first-class coach is Rs 1420, while it is Rs 1200 for a vista dome.
"Since it was only announced yesterday, I haven't had the opportunity to study the entire document. However, there has been a long-standing proposal for the monetisation of the mountain railways of India, which includes the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railways, the Kalka Shimla Railway, and the Matheran Railway,"
NFR general manager Sanjive Roy, who reviewed the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) infrastructure today, said they would like to resume the services with the joy rides.
The Park had seen good footfall and a good rise in revenue collection ever since the safari began there in 2014, while new features like the toy train and Nature Interpretation Centre have been added recently.
Three joy ride services in Darjeeling and Ghoom have been unaffected by the rains, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is taking precautionary measures to run the Toy Train during the monsoon season. Every year during the monsoon, the train service face disruption due to landslides in the Hills.
Falling boulders and landslips following incessant rainfall have damaged railway tracks at Lower Paglajhora in the Kurseong sub-division
