Toy train · Ghoom
Steam joyride from Darjeeling to Ghoom
A two-hour round trip behind a steam engine on the UNESCO-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, from Darjeeling up to Ghum station at 2,258 m, with halts at Batasia Loop and the railway museum. Book on IRCTC early, because seats sell out in season.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway reached Darjeeling in 1881 on track just 610 mm wide, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. The full line from NJP is 88 km and a long day; the joyride gives you the top section in about two hours. The train leaves Darjeeling station on Hill Cart Road, runs beside the road past houses and shopfronts, turns round Batasia Loop and climbs to Ghum, the highest station on the line, before coming back the same way.
The joyride usually halts about ten minutes at Batasia, enough to walk the garden and see the Gorkha War Memorial with Kanchenjunga behind it, and around half an hour at Ghum, time for the small railway museum in the station. Watch the crew at work: the fireman feeds the fire, the driver works the regulator, and the whistle sounds at every crossing. The steam service uses the line's B-class tank engines, small locomotives built more than a century ago.
Book on the IRCTC site or app as soon as you know your dates; steam seats in October, the puja holidays and May sell out weeks ahead. If steam is full, the diesel joyride covers the same route for less, roughly ₹1,000–1,300. Services are cut or changed for landslides, maintenance and the monsoon, so check current status before you travel. Keep children's hands and heads inside the windows: the train passes very close to walls and shops.
Cost: ≈ ₹1,500–1,800 steam · ≈ ₹1,000–1,300 diesel
Questions people ask
Good to know
How long is the Darjeeling toy train joyride?
About two hours return. The train climbs about 7 km from Darjeeling to Ghum station, usually halting around ten minutes at Batasia Loop and about half an hour at Ghum, where the railway museum is, before returning. Timings and the number of departures change with the season, so check current status before you travel.
Is the steam joyride worth the extra cost over diesel?
For most people, yes, once. The steam joyride costs roughly ₹1,500–1,800 against ₹1,000–1,300 for diesel, and the old B-class engine, the smoke, the whistle and the crew working the fire are the point of the trip. If you only want the view and the Batasia stop, the diesel ride is good value, and a shared jeep costs ₹30–50.
How do I book the toy train joyride?
Book on the IRCTC website or app, or at the Darjeeling station counter if seats remain. Book as early as you can for October, the puja holidays, Christmas and May–June, when seats go fast. Services are cancelled for landslides and maintenance, so check current status before you travel, and keep your ticket on your phone.
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