Darjeeling Himalayan Railway unveils new photo gallery at Sukna on 146th anniversary

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) -- set to complete 150 years in 2030 -- has begun showcasing its rich heritage with a new photo gallery at the DHR museum at the toy train station in Sukna on its 146th anniversary.

Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, general manager of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), inaugurated the gallery on Saturday.

The gallery features photographs documenting the history and heritage of the century-old mountain railway and the station, which is located around 10km from Siliguri.

"Today, the DHR station at Sukna completes 146 years. To mark the occasion, we have inaugurated a photo gallery showcasing historical images of the DHR and its glorious past. The heritage of the station is also being recreated here," Shrivastava said.

Each photograph in the gallery carries a QR code, allowing visitors to scan it and access detailed information about the image and its historical significance.

The NFR general manager also inspected the DHR's heritage infrastructure and its historic workshop at Tindharia, 30 km from Siliguri in the Kurseong subdivision of Darjeeling district.

During his visit, he re-commissioned the 125-year-old steam locomotive B780. The hill railway authorities are planning to deploy it on two special short-distance heritage services -- Muktadhara and Red Panda -- which operate between Kurseong and Mahanadi, a DHR official said.

The Tindharia workshop currently maintains 13 steam locomotives of the DHR, which continue to operate services between Darjeeling and Ghoom. Nine diesel locomotives are also operational.

"The Tindharia workshop maintains the old steam locomotives that provide visitors with the unique experience of a heritage ride between Darjeeling and Ghoom. Such locomotives are no longer manufactured. We introduced three new diesel locomotives last year," Shrivastava said.

The Tindharia workshop began operations on a temporary basis in 1881 and became fully operational in 1925.

Railway officials said a dedicated officer has been appointed to oversee the maintenance of railway infrastructure under the guidance of Rishabh Choudhary, the director of the DHR.

Following the programme at Sukna and his inspection of the Tindharia workshop, Shrivastava travelled to Kurseong and inaugurated a new barrack for the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

He also formally opened the Giddaypahar siding near Kurseong, restored after 21 years.

Shrivastava also visited the Netaji Museum and the Centre for Studies in Himalayan Languages, Society and Culture at Giddaypahar. During the visit, he unveiled a book on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, sources said.