Welcome to a world where time seems to slow down and the past comes alive in vivid detail.
Imagine a vintage train, meticulously crafted by the British in the late 19th century, exuding an irresistible charm.
Experience the enchantment as the steam engine releases a smoky hiss, accompanied by the evocative sound of a resounding whistle and the rhythmic clatter of the carriages.
Now, imagine yourself comfortably seated by the window, completely mesmerised by the awe-inspiring landscapes that unfold before your eyes—each tunnel, every bridge, and every breathtaking scene of natural beauty.
Prepare to be transported into the extraordinary realm of India’s Toy Trains, where a simple journey turns into a magical encounter with history, nature, and the pure delight of exploration and discovery.
Hello Readers! Welcome to the enchanted realm of Indian railways, where we will begin a lovely voyage packed with the whimsical attractions of India’s Toy Trains.
Prepare to go on an incredible tour through the enthralling foothills of the mighty Himalayas and the lush tea plantations of the Western Ghats.
Open your hearts to the magic as we ride along these lovely narrow-gauge trains, and let us embark on this memorable adventure together!
Toy trains in India are more than just fun; they also allow access to some of the country’s most attractive hill stations.
The building and upkeep of these narrow-gauge railways are engineering marvels in and of themselves.
These miniature railway tracks, with their steep grades, tight curves, and awe-inspiring viaducts, display the incredible handiwork of bygone engineers.
This article discusses the five incredible Toy Train itineraries in India that you should not miss, as well as everything you should know before boarding one.
I’ve personally explored three of these five routes and will share my experiences as we go.
So, fellow travellers, welcome aboard! Our journey begins in the foggy hills of Darjeeling, where the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, affectionately known as the “Toy Train,” winds past the emerald green tea estates.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, West Bengal
It was built in 1881, making it the oldest of India’s ancient mountain railways.
If you happen to be on the Darjeeling Himalayan toy train, you’ll frequently witness towering snow-covered mountains that appear fairly threatening, as well as twisty roads and thrillingly steep slopes that enhance the excitement of the voyage.
It provides the following rides for visitors’ convenience:
1. Joy Ride:
From Darjeeling to Ghum station, the journey takes around two hours and covers roughly 20 kilometres.
The train stops for about 10 minutes at Batasia Loop, so you can enjoy the spectacular vistas of Kanchenjunga and the beautiful splendour of Darjeeling.
It then comes to a 20-minute stop at Ghum station. The train museum is open here, and entry is free with the Joy Ride ticket.
On this route, you can pick between a Steam Engine Ride and a Diesel Engine Ride. During high season, IRCTC offers many rides on this route, so you can choose one based on your schedule.
You can go to the IRCTC website and book a train from Darjeeling (Station Code: DJ) to Darjeeling (Station Code: DJRZ). The train route is Darjeeling-Batasia-Ghum-Darjeeling.
The ticket fee varies from INR 1000 for the diesel engine to INR 1500 for the steam engine.
I used this route during my recent trip to Darjeeling in May 2023 and chose the classic steam engine ride. I had reserved my tickets three months in advance.
The journey through the roads and turns is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The steam train provides a one-of-a-kind and immersive multimedia experience that engages all senses.
It blends a symphony of music, swirling smoke, billowing steam, shimmering water droplets, floating coal particles, and the locomotive’s dynamic motion.
It was one of the items on my bucket list that I completed. I’m leaving you with some photos and a brief video to remember the moments.
2. Regular DHR Toy Train:
This is a long trip that connects New Jalpaiguri station to Darjeeling. The train ride takes about 8 hours and covers about 85 kilometres, with a brief halt in Kurseong. Throughout the journey, there are a few brief stops.
You can purchase a ticket from New Jalpaiguri (Station Code: NJP) to Darjeeling (Station Code: DJ) by visiting the IRCTC website.
The train travels from New Jalpaiguri to Kurseong and then to Darjeeling. The ticket price ranges between INR 1300 and INR 1500.
There is no food supplied on this train, and there may not be many food options along the route. If you wish to travel along this route, please bring food with you.
The narrow-gauge railway track and the road travel alongside one another intersect roughly 150 times along the entire journey. They are always within close reach of one another, never too far apart.
3. Toy Train Jungle Safari:
This journey takes you through the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. However, this is a seasonal ride that is only available on particular days of the week.
The route is as follows: Siliguri (Station Code: SGUJ)-Rongtong-Siliguri (Station Code: SGUD). It’s about a three-hour ride. Please check the IRCTC website for availability and price information.
Next, we move south to Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri Mountains, where the Nilgiri Mountain Railway enchants visitors with its colonial-era elegance.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
It is Asia’s steepest rail system. The steam engine comes to a halt every hour until Conoor to allow the engine to cool down. For the remainder of the journey, the steam engine is replaced by a Diesel engine in Conoor.
The toy trains that travel between Ooty and Conoor are more frequent than the only train that goes between Mettupalayam and Ooty.
This 46-kilometre route includes over 250 bridges and 16 tunnels. The railway was designed in 1854, but due to the rocky terrain and densely forested slopes, it was not constructed until around 1908.
The nicest views are along the stretch from Mettupalayam to Conoor, although the most popular route remains Ooty-Coonoor.
You can go to the IRCTC website and book a train from Udagamandalam (Station Code: UAM) to Coonoor (Station Code: ONR). If you intend to go to Metupalayam from Ooty, enter MTP as the Station Code.
The ticket prices range from INR 150 to INR 350. The trip from Metupalayam to Coonoor takes about 3–4 hours, and the trip from Coonoor to Ooty (Udagamandalam) takes about 1.30 hours.
I travelled on this trip in December 2017. We had booked a personal cab from Ooty and drove to Coonoor. We arrived at Coonoor around 10 a.m. and then went sightseeing in the vicinity.
We went to the Tea Garden, Sim’s Park, and Dolphin’s Nose Point, among other places of interest.
We had a nice lunch and then went to Coonoor station to board our train at 3.30 p.m. The train was due to arrive at 4 p.m. It arrived 15 minutes late.
The total journey of almost 1.5 hours was fascinating and difficult to sum up in words. When you go on one of these trips, it’s a completely different experience.
The Nilgiri Mountain toy train is one of India’s most beautiful toy trains, chugging through lush forests, steep terrain, and misty hilltops.
We arrived at Ooty around 6 p.m., and our driver, who had driven from Coonoor, was already waiting for us at the railway station.
I’ll leave you with some more pictures from our trip to enjoy.
Our journey continues to lead us to Himachal Pradesh, where the Kalka-Shimla Railway reveals its fairytale scenery.
Kalka-Shimla Railway
Starting in the plains of Kalka, this narrow-gauge railway travels 96 km and ascends more than 4,897 feet to reach the scenic hill station of Shimla.
This magnificent railway line was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, and it has 919 bends, 107 tunnels, and over 850 bridges.
This engineering masterpiece, completed in 1903, not only provides transportation but also gives travellers breathtaking vistas of snow-covered mountains, lush valleys, and lovely hillside stations along the way.
You can go to the IRCTC website and choose a ticket from Kalka (Station Code: KLK) to Shimla (Station Code: SML).
Ticket prices range from INR 65 to INR 800, depending on the class and train. The ride takes roughly 5 hours and is an adventure you’ll never forget!
This is on my to-do list, and I will update the write-up as I go on this amazing journey, which I plan to accomplish shortly.
Our journey continues in Maharashtra’s Western Ghats, where the Matheran Hill Railway captivates us with its one-of-a-kind path.
Matheran Hill Railway
The Matheran Hill Railway, one of India’s narrow-gauge railways, offers a wonderful journey through deep forests and stunning views of the Sahyadri mountain range.
Because Matheran is Asia’s sole automobile-free hill station, the toy railway becomes the town’s lifeline. This toy train initially ran in 1907.
This route does not have online booking through IRCTC. Tickets must be purchased at the ticketing counter at Neral (Station Code: NRL), which is located ahead of Karjat on the Pune-Mumbai route.
Neral-Aman Lodge-Matheran (Station Code: MAE) is the train route. About 20-kilometre journey takes about 2–3 hours and travels through the “One Kiss” tunnel. The ticket prices range from INR 65 to INR 300.
Please confirm the availability of this train, as it frequently experiences track closures due to rain or landslides. It was recently shut down for track work but has since resumed operations.
I had already taken this journey in 2009 with my family and my then-3-month-old baby. Our journey was unforgettable.
We drove from Pune to Neral in a self-driven car. We parked our car in the Neral station car park for 100 rupees per day.
The train was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. We arrived at Matheran around 12:45 p.m. The following day, at 2:00 PM, we had a return journey from Matheran to Neral.
Our adventure concludes with a stop in Kangra Valley, Himachal Pradesh. It provides an enthralling experience in one of India’s most beautiful locations.
Kangra Valley Railway
The Kangra Valley Railway, completed in 1929, is the most recent mountain railway to be built. It connects Pathankot in Punjab to Joginder Nagar in Himachal Pradesh, passing through Kangra and Palampur.
This route does not have online booking through IRCTC. Tickets must be purchased at the Pathankot booking counter (Station Code: PTK).
Pathankot-Kangra-Palampur-Joginder Nagar (Station Code: JDNX) is the train route.
The path goes by several famous attractions, including the old Kangra Fort, the well-known Baijnath Temple devoted to Lord Shiva, the renowned Chamunda Devi Temple, and the tranquil tea plantations of Palampur.
The 164-kilometre journey takes approximately 10 hours. The ticket price ranges from INR 35 to INR 330.
I have yet to experience this route, but it is definitely on my bucket list. I’ll post more details as I go along, and I might even run into one of my readers!
Fun-Facts of Toy Trains of India
1. The UNESCO World Heritage Site recognises the Kalka-Shimla Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway as the “Mountain Railways of India.”
2. In 1878, Mr. Franklin Prestage proposed the concept of the first toy train in India, which commenced its operations.
3. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways are credited with originating the term “Indian Toy Train.”
4. Ghum Station, situated at an elevation of 7407 ft. above sea level, holds the distinction of being India’s highest station on the Darjeeling Joy Ride.
5. The Barog Tunnel (No. 33) is the longest tunnel along the Kalka-Shimla route, measuring approximately 3752 ft. in length.
Traveller Tips for Travelling in Toy Trains of India
1. It is advisable to reserve your seats in advance through the IRCTC website (www.irctc.co.in), especially during busy holiday seasons, as there is limited seating and a high demand.
2. Avoid carrying heavy luggage when boarding the toy train, as there is limited space available for storing luggage.
3. Overnight travel is not available on toy train routes.
4. Please note that there is no onboard Wi-Fi, and the network coverage may be moderate to poor for most of the journey.
5. When planning your travel, it is important to regularly check the current status and schedules of the toy trains, as they may be subject to changes or disruptions.
Embark on a delightful journey and immerse yourself in the enchanting realm of India’s toy trains.
With each revolution of the wheels, you’ll uncover captivating stories, breathtaking landscapes, and countless reasons to develop a deep affection for this remarkable country.
Get ready to create unforgettable memories as you traverse the picturesque routes of these charming trains.
Frequently Asked Questions!
Q1: What is the history of toy trains in India?
Toy trains in India have a rich history dating back to the late 1800s. The first toy train was introduced in 1903 in Darjeeling, and since then, they have become a popular tourist attraction across various hill stations in India.
Q2: Which are the famous toy train routes in India?
Some famous toy train routes in India include the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Ooty, the Kalka-Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh, and the Matheran Hill Railway in Maharashtra. These routes offer scenic beauty and a unique travel experience.
Q3: How can tourists book tickets for toy train rides?
Tourists can book toy train tickets in India through various methods, including online portals, railway station counters, or authorized travel agents. It is advisable to book tickets in advance, especially during peak tourist seasons, to secure a seat on these popular train rides.
Q4: Are toy train rides suitable for all age groups?
Yes, toy train rides in India are suitable for all age groups. These journeys offer a joyful and leisurely mode of transportation to explore the stunning surroundings. Whether traveling with family, friends, or solo, the charm of toy trains appeals to people of all generations.
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