Darjeeling toy train: which ride to take and how to book it

The DHR runs a mix of scheduled trains and tourist services, and the timetable changes with the season. Most visitors choose between three kinds of ride. The joy ride is a round trip from Darjeeling to Ghum and back, by steam or diesel, with stops at Batasia Loop and Ghum. The through train runs the full line from NJP to Darjeeling, usually once a day, hauled by a diesel engine. Seasonal specials, such as the steam Red Panda service between Darjeeling and Kurseong, run in some years.

The table below summarises the options. Fares are indicative for 2025–26 and change with class, coach and season, so always confirm on IRCTC before you plan around a price.

All regular DHR services, including joy rides, are sold through the Indian Railways reservation system, so the IRCTC website and app are the easiest ways to book. You need an IRCTC account, which takes a few minutes to set up with a mobile number and email address. Foreign travellers can register with an international phone number, though verification sometimes takes longer, so set it up well before your trip.

Seats are released when the reservation window opens, which under current Indian Railways rules is up to 60 days before travel. Rules change from time to time. Check current status before you travel. Joy rides for October, the Durga Puja and Diwali weeks, May and the Christmas week often sell out within days, so book as soon as you can.

• Log in to IRCTC and search from Darjeeling (DJ) to Darjeeling (DJ) for a joy ride, or from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to Darjeeling (DJ) for the through train.
• Pick your date. Joy ride results show several departures through the day, marked steam or diesel.
• Choose the class and check the fare and seats left. Joy rides are usually sold in first class, though some services use newer tourist coaches.
• Enter passenger names and ages exactly as on your ID. Adults should carry the same ID on the day.
• Pay online and save the e-ticket on your phone. A screenshot or printout with the PNR number is accepted at the station.
• If IRCTC shows no seats, try the Darjeeling station booking counter the day before or early on the day; cancellations sometimes free seats.

If your budget allows, choose steam. The B-class engines are the heart of the DHR: you hear the whistle echo off the hillside, smell the coal smoke and watch the crew feed the fire and sand the rails on the gradients. A steam ride costs a few hundred rupees more than diesel and covers the same route and stops. Diesel rides are smoother, cheaper and depart more often, so they are a sensible choice for families with small children or travellers on a tight budget.

On the joy ride, the line runs close to Hill Cart Road and through the edges of Ghum's bazaar, so both sides have interest. Going up from Darjeeling, the left side looks over the valley towards Kangchenjunga on clear days; on the way back the views switch sides. Coaches are small, with large windows, and there is little room for luggage, so bring only a daypack.

Photographers often prefer to ride one way and photograph the train the other. A good plan is to ride the joy ride in the morning, then visit Batasia Loop again by car in the afternoon to photograph a steam train curling around the loop with the mountain behind.

The through train from NJP is a full-day adventure. It runs past Siliguri Junction and across the plains, then starts climbing at Sukna into sal forest. Beyond Rangtong the line begins its loops and reverses. At Chunbhati and Agony Point the track spirals tightly, and at Tindharia, at about 860 m, you pass the railway's workshops.

From there the train climbs through tea gardens to Kurseong, the half-way town and railway headquarters, where the line runs down the main street through the bazaar. Above Kurseong it follows Hill Cart Road through Tung and Sonada, often in mist, to Ghum, the summit of the line. The last section drops through the Batasia Loop into Darjeeling. These are the stops and sights worth looking out for:

• New Jalpaiguri (NJP): the start, beside the broad-gauge junction, at about 100 m.
• Sukna: the line leaves the plains and enters forest at the foot of the hills.
• Rangtong and Chunbhati: the first reverses and a loop as the gradient steepens.
• Agony Point: a tight loop below Tindharia where the train seems to hang over the drop.
• Tindharia: the DHR workshops, at about 860 m.
• Kurseong: headquarters town, with the train running through the market, at about 1,480 m.
• Sonada: a small town with misty forest views, often the coldest part of the ride.
• Ghum: the highest station on the line, at about 2,258 m, with the DHR museum.
• Batasia Loop: the spiral built in 1919, with a Gorkha war memorial and Kangchenjunga view.
• Darjeeling: the terminus, at about 2,045 m, a short walk below Chowrasta.

The toy train runs year round in principle, but the hills set the timetable. From June to September, monsoon landslides regularly damage the line, especially on the lower section between Sukna and Kurseong, and the through train from NJP may be cut back or suspended for weeks. Joy rides between Darjeeling and Ghum usually keep running, because that stretch is less exposed. Check current status before you travel.

Trains also run late. The through train can lose an hour or more to traffic on the shared road sections, crossing other trains and engine problems. Do not plan a tight connection at NJP after a toy train journey. For joy rides, arrive at Darjeeling station 20–30 minutes before departure, as boarding is slow when trains are busy.

The best months for riding are October and November, when the views are clearest, and March to May, when the hills are green and warm. Winter rides from December to February are cold but often very clear, and steam smoke shows beautifully in the cold air.

A sensible budget for the toy train is about ₹1,000–1,800 per person for a joy ride, plus a taxi to Darjeeling station if you are staying far from it. The Ghum museum is normally included in the joy ride stop. If you cannot get a joy ride, a car trip to Ghum and Batasia, with a visit to the museum, still shows you the best of the line from the outside.

Keep the ride in perspective: the toy train is slow, the coaches are small and the views are shared with houses and traffic. That is part of its charm. The railway is a working heritage line used by local people, not a theme park, so be patient, be polite to the staff and crew, and keep off the tracks when taking photographs.

• Book as early as the reservation window allows for October, May and holiday weeks.
• Carry photo ID matching the names on your ticket.
• Wear a warm layer; Ghum is colder and windier than Darjeeling.
• Bring cash for tea and snacks at Ghum and Batasia.
• Stand well back from the train at Batasia and in Kurseong bazaar, where it passes very close.
• Ask your hotel to check that day's departures if the weather has been bad.