The beauty of hills with their peace and quiet has always attracted tourists all over the world. They fill one’s heart with joy attracting tourists all the year around who come to relieve their stress and strain of their everyday life. And the hill stations of India are also no less.
Indian Railways
The Indian Railways have some fascinating rail networks in the hilly regions of India. The hill trains have become popular because of the lovely hill stations that draw large tourists. Besides, the trains are quite luxurious and operate between different destinations allowing the tourists enjoy both the luxury inside and the beauty outside. They run slow so as to enable tourists enjoy the scenic beauty around. A journey by these hill trains is an enthralling journey that will remain in memory for ever.
Rail Networks of India in Hilly Regions
There are five rail networks in India – the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Kangra valley Railway, the Kalka Shimla Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, the Matheran Light Railway. These railways are wonderful examples of an excellence in engineering achieved by the masters of the craft at a time when skills in this field were rather primitive.
The Darjeeling Railway
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is one of the most fascinating engineering feats of the world and is a world famous railway that has been given World Heritage Site status by the UNESCO. The route was inaugurated in 1881, and the toy train has a narrow gauge for 83 kilometers between Siliguri and Darjeeling for about eight hours, with steep gradients and amazing loops. Currently 17 locomotives carry the coaches over three routes. Of these 13 are steam locomotives belonging to the early 20th century.
The trains cover three routes, namely, New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, New Jalpaiguri to Kurseong, and Kurseong to Darjeeling. Besides regular services, there are special holiday trips and chartered services. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a marvel and uses neither rack mechanism nor cable as other mountain railways do, but moves only on adhesion. It was the genius and vision of Franklin Prestage.
The Kangra Valley Railway
Renowned for its natural beauty, the Kangra Valley between the Dhaula Dhar and the Shivalik foothills in the state of Himachal Pradesh attracts thousands of tourists every year. In April 1929, this 100 mile railway line was constructed in rough terrain. The Kangra Valley railway route was inaugurated in 1929, and is a superb example of railway engineering, where the railway engineers have maintained the beauty and grandeur of the mountains.
The Kangra Queen runs between Pathankot and Palampur and takes 4 hrs 25 minutes with two stoppages at Jwalamukhi and Kangra. Starting from Pathankot, the line runs parallel to the road for the first 16 miles. The train passes numerous bridges built over gushing streams, offering grand view of the majestic Himalayas, the snow capped peaks and gorgeous pines. The ancient Rajput Fort which isnow in ruins after the 1905 earthquake is also visible from the train.
Kalka Shimla Railway
The Kalka Shimla measuring 59.44 miles from Kalka to Shimla was opened for traffic on November 9, 1903. Shimla is a hill station, and the journey from Kalka to Shimla takes around four and a half hours to complete. Enroute 103 tunnels, 969 bridges, 919 curves and twenty railway stations are present.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway has no Girder bridges. There is only on 60 feet plate girder span in a Pinewood near the old engineer bungalow at Dharampur and a steel trestle via duct. The entire section has been built with steep gradient through the Shivalik ranges. Initially the route served as means of transport for the high officials, as Shimla was the summer capital of British India.
Nilgiri Mount Railway
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is also known as as the Mettupalayam Railway and covers a distance of 46 kilometers in about 5 hours and connects Mettupalayam and Ooty. The route is the steepest in Asia - steepest gradient is about 1in12, and the main feature of the Nilgiri mountain railway is the unique rack system and the equally unique and complicated locomotives. The scenic route offers excellent vies of the Nilgiri forests and covers a distance of 116 kilometers, crossing 250 bridges and 16 tunnels.
Matheran Light Railway
Matheran is a beautiful hill station located about 108 kilometers from Mumbai. Abdul Hussein, son of the business tycoon, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of Mumbai, was a regular visitor to Matheran. After having obtained a reluctant consent from his father, young Abdul Hussain camped at Neral in 1900 AD to plan a narrow gauge railway line to Matheran. The construction started in 1904 and the two feet gauge line finally opened to traffic in 1907. The route originates from Neral, and falls midway on the Mumbai-Pune route of the central railway. The railway is 12-1/2 miles long and has a gauge of only two feet. Speed is limited to 12 miles per hour only. The breathtaking scenery is the chief attraction of the route, and is famous for the horseshoe embankment.
Booking.com
Trips by hill trains right into the heart of the Mother Nature, studded with numerous magnificent hill stations is truly like a fairytale making the heart desire for more.
Indian Railways
The Indian Railways have some fascinating rail networks in the hilly regions of India. The hill trains have become popular because of the lovely hill stations that draw large tourists. Besides, the trains are quite luxurious and operate between different destinations allowing the tourists enjoy both the luxury inside and the beauty outside. They run slow so as to enable tourists enjoy the scenic beauty around. A journey by these hill trains is an enthralling journey that will remain in memory for ever.
Rail Networks of India in Hilly Regions
There are five rail networks in India – the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Kangra valley Railway, the Kalka Shimla Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, the Matheran Light Railway. These railways are wonderful examples of an excellence in engineering achieved by the masters of the craft at a time when skills in this field were rather primitive.
The Darjeeling Railway
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is one of the most fascinating engineering feats of the world and is a world famous railway that has been given World Heritage Site status by the UNESCO. The route was inaugurated in 1881, and the toy train has a narrow gauge for 83 kilometers between Siliguri and Darjeeling for about eight hours, with steep gradients and amazing loops. Currently 17 locomotives carry the coaches over three routes. Of these 13 are steam locomotives belonging to the early 20th century.
The trains cover three routes, namely, New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling, New Jalpaiguri to Kurseong, and Kurseong to Darjeeling. Besides regular services, there are special holiday trips and chartered services. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a marvel and uses neither rack mechanism nor cable as other mountain railways do, but moves only on adhesion. It was the genius and vision of Franklin Prestage.
The Kangra Valley Railway
Renowned for its natural beauty, the Kangra Valley between the Dhaula Dhar and the Shivalik foothills in the state of Himachal Pradesh attracts thousands of tourists every year. In April 1929, this 100 mile railway line was constructed in rough terrain. The Kangra Valley railway route was inaugurated in 1929, and is a superb example of railway engineering, where the railway engineers have maintained the beauty and grandeur of the mountains.
The Kangra Queen runs between Pathankot and Palampur and takes 4 hrs 25 minutes with two stoppages at Jwalamukhi and Kangra. Starting from Pathankot, the line runs parallel to the road for the first 16 miles. The train passes numerous bridges built over gushing streams, offering grand view of the majestic Himalayas, the snow capped peaks and gorgeous pines. The ancient Rajput Fort which isnow in ruins after the 1905 earthquake is also visible from the train.
Kalka Shimla Railway
The Kalka Shimla measuring 59.44 miles from Kalka to Shimla was opened for traffic on November 9, 1903. Shimla is a hill station, and the journey from Kalka to Shimla takes around four and a half hours to complete. Enroute 103 tunnels, 969 bridges, 919 curves and twenty railway stations are present.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway has no Girder bridges. There is only on 60 feet plate girder span in a Pinewood near the old engineer bungalow at Dharampur and a steel trestle via duct. The entire section has been built with steep gradient through the Shivalik ranges. Initially the route served as means of transport for the high officials, as Shimla was the summer capital of British India.
Nilgiri Mount Railway
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is also known as as the Mettupalayam Railway and covers a distance of 46 kilometers in about 5 hours and connects Mettupalayam and Ooty. The route is the steepest in Asia - steepest gradient is about 1in12, and the main feature of the Nilgiri mountain railway is the unique rack system and the equally unique and complicated locomotives. The scenic route offers excellent vies of the Nilgiri forests and covers a distance of 116 kilometers, crossing 250 bridges and 16 tunnels.
Matheran Light Railway
Matheran is a beautiful hill station located about 108 kilometers from Mumbai. Abdul Hussein, son of the business tycoon, Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy of Mumbai, was a regular visitor to Matheran. After having obtained a reluctant consent from his father, young Abdul Hussain camped at Neral in 1900 AD to plan a narrow gauge railway line to Matheran. The construction started in 1904 and the two feet gauge line finally opened to traffic in 1907. The route originates from Neral, and falls midway on the Mumbai-Pune route of the central railway. The railway is 12-1/2 miles long and has a gauge of only two feet. Speed is limited to 12 miles per hour only. The breathtaking scenery is the chief attraction of the route, and is famous for the horseshoe embankment.
Booking.com
Trips by hill trains right into the heart of the Mother Nature, studded with numerous magnificent hill stations is truly like a fairytale making the heart desire for more.
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