When you think of Darjeeling, you picture Kanchenjunga blushing in the sunrise, mist curling through pine and deodar forests, tea gardens stretching like green velvet, and the rhythmic chug of the legendary toy train weaving through the hills like a silver serpent.
But now, imagine this—the same historic train, lit by soft lamps and rolling under the full moon, with the cool mountain breeze brushing your face and Kanchenjunga glowing under the starlight. Yes! Darjeeling is preparing to stay awake a little longer, and her crown jewel, the UNESCO-certified Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), may soon run at night.
In a move that is equal parts nostalgic and novel, DHR has requested permission from the Railway Board to commence moonlit joyrides in Vistadome coaches. These glass-roofed carriages offer a panoramic embrace of the hills—and under the night sky, they'll become rolling observatories, ideal for lovers of romance, silence, and Himalayan mystique.
And DHR isn’t stopping there. It’s revving up its engines—literally. Three new engines are being crafted at Sun Engineering in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, expected to arrive by July and year-end, respectively. These aren’t just machines; they’re the heartbeats of a dream reborn.
With custom joyrides and eco-tourism packages, DHR is reimagining travel. Think less transit, more storytelling on rails. One such tale begins in Tung, winds through Kurseong, and makes pit stops at secret gardens, forest museums and age-old rail workshops.
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Here’s a glimpse of the eco-heritage circuit being planned: a walk through the White Orchid Garden in Dowhill, lunch at the Forest Department Museum, a visit to the Kurseong Archive—a treasure trove of local lore—then take the toy train to Mahanadi, a postcard village just 7 km from Kurseong. Explore irrigation marvels amid mountain serenity, ride to Tindharia’s heritage rail workshop, sip in the views of Sepahidhura Tea Estate and the tranquil Shivkhola Temple, and finally, roll into Sukna by night, cloaked in moonlight and mist.
DHR Director Rishab Chowdhury is upbeat. “Some excellent proposals emerged during our meetings with stakeholders. We’re putting emphasis on night rides, small-route joyrides and heritage trails. It’s about giving travellers a sensory, scenic experience, not just a ride.”
“If approved, these new services will amplify the charm of the toy train. The joyrides on lesser-known routes could turn Darjeeling’s train into the ultimate escape—a queen’s passage through the moon-drenched hills,” said Samrat Sanyal, travel veteran and editor of the Himalayan Hospitality Travel and Tour Development Network. He believes the initiative could be a game-changer.
Once merely a day affair, Darjeeling’s toy train is poised to become a nocturnal legend—an experience stitched with nostalgia, nature and night-time wonder. If all goes as planned, the hills will no longer hush at sunset. Instead, the rhythm of the rails will continue into the twilight, ferrying stories, songs and stardust.
So, ready to ride the moonrail? Darjeeling’s calling. And this time, she’s wide awake.
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