Toy train · Kurseong
Toy train and bazaar walk
Walk Kurseong's Hill Cart Road from the station through the bazaar, timing it with a train. Watch the two-foot-gauge line squeeze between shops, and stop at the station yard to see the engines.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway opened to Darjeeling in 1881 and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. In Kurseong it does something you rarely see anywhere: it runs straight down the main street. Shopkeepers move baskets and parked scooters, the driver sounds the horn every few metres, and the train crawls past the fronts of shops close enough to touch.
Start at Kurseong station, which has a small yard and sheds, and ask the staff when the next train is due. Then walk north through the bazaar towards the Tourist Lodge so that the train comes to you. Stop for tea at one of the stalls by the line.
Services change with the season and with landslide repairs on the lower line around Tindharia and Pagla Jhora. Check the current timetable on IRCTC or at the station, and do not walk on the track itself.
Cost: Free · ₹150 for tea and snacks
Questions people ask
Good to know
Which toy trains pass through Kurseong?
Kurseong lies on the NJP–Darjeeling line, and some services run only on the upper section between Kurseong and Darjeeling. The exact trains running vary with the season and with track repairs below Kurseong. Ask at the station or check IRCTC for the current timetable before planning your walk.
Can I ride the toy train from Kurseong to Darjeeling?
When services run, yes. The trip takes about 2.5–3 hours over 32 km and climbs through Tung, Sonada and Ghoom. Book on IRCTC; seats are limited. A shared jeep does the same trip in 1.5 hours for ₹100–150, so many travellers ride one way and jeep the other.
Is it safe to walk along the line in the bazaar?
Walk on the road edge and the shop fronts, not on the track. The train moves slowly through town, but jeeps and scooters also use the road. Keep children close and step well back when you hear the horn.
