Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Ferrocarril Himalayo de Darjeeling
- Date
- 1881 · confidence high
- Place
- Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
- Credited to
- Franklin Prestage and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company
- Field
- Movement
What it is
A 610 mm gauge line that climbs from the plains to 2,200 m with loops, reversing zigzags and 5% grades. It was a pioneering example of a narrow-gauge mountain railway and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.
The Batasia Loop and the Agony Point loop gain height without long tunnels; the line opened in stages between 1879 and 1881.
What it led to
- the Darjeeling tea economy and mountain tourism
- a model for narrow-gauge mountain railways in India, such as the Nilgiri