The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) marked its 146th anniversary with a new heritage photo gallery at Sukna, the recommissioning of a 125-year-old steam locomotive and the reopening of a railway siding near Kurseong after 21 years.
Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, general manager of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), inaugurated the gallery at the DHR museum inside the toy train station at Sukna on Saturday. The station is located about 10km from Siliguri.
The gallery displays photographs documenting the history of the century-old mountain railway and Sukna station. Each image carries a QR code that visitors can scan to access information about the photograph and its historical significance.
“Today, the DHR station at Sukna completes 146 years. To mark the occasion, we have inaugurated a photo gallery showcasing historical images of the DHR and its glorious past. The heritage of the station is also being recreated here,” Shrivastava said.
The railway is scheduled to complete 150 years in 2030. As part of the anniversary programme, Shrivastava inspected the DHR’s heritage infrastructure and its historic workshop at Tindharia, around 30km from Siliguri in Darjeeling district’s Kurseong subdivision.
During the inspection, he recommissioned the 125-year-old steam locomotive B780. DHR authorities plan to deploy the locomotive on two special short-distance heritage services, Muktadhara and Red Panda, which operate between Kurseong and Mahanadi, according to a DHR official.
The Tindharia workshop currently maintains 13 DHR steam locomotives. These locomotives continue to operate services between Darjeeling and Ghoom. Nine diesel locomotives are also operational on the railway.
“The Tindharia workshop maintains the old steam locomotives that provide visitors with the unique experience of a heritage ride between Darjeeling and Ghoom. Such locomotives are no longer manufactured. We introduced three new diesel locomotives last year,” Shrivastava said.
The workshop began operating temporarily in 1881 and became fully operational in 1925. Railway officials said a dedicated officer has now been appointed to oversee the maintenance of railway infrastructure under the guidance of Rishabh Choudhary, director of the DHR.
The programme also included the inauguration of a new barrack for the Railway Protection Force in Kurseong. Shrivastava formally opened the Giddaypahar siding near Kurseong, which was restored after remaining closed for 21 years.
The official also visited the Netaji Museum and the Centre for Studies in Himalayan Languages, Society and Culture at Giddaypahar. A book on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was unveiled during the visit, according to sources cited in the report.
The new gallery and the planned heritage services will add public-facing elements to the railway’s anniversary programme, while the workshop inspection and appointment of a dedicated maintenance officer focus on the upkeep of the infrastructure and rolling stock. The restored siding is the latest operational milestone announced during the visit.
