Mountain Railways of India

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NHK World Heritage 100 Series

Narration Text

The world’s oldest mountain steam train is in India. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was founded in 1881. The train starts at an elevation of 114 metres. The last stop, Darjeeling, is at 2143 metres. It takes eight hours to climb the 2000 metres between.

This steam engine was highly advanced when first built in 1926. With careful maintenance and loving care, it remains in active service. The track gauge is 61cm. A worker sits on the front to look out for obstacles. The train travels at about 10 kilometres an hour, so even bicycles can overtake. Nowadays, only two trains run per day. Diesel locomotives are replacing steam engines on parts of the route. The technology needed to climb the 2000 metres includes switchbacks, to allow the train to switch direction on the zigzag track. The technique was later adopted by mountain railways all over the world. When it gets very steep, people up front scatter sand on the tracks to increase traction and prevent slipping.

The railway was built at a time the British planned to claim Tibet. The train that was to go all the way up to Darjeeling was meant to help create an important strategic base. The train finally arrives after climbing hours uphill.

Darjeeling Tea is cultivated here in the foothills of the Himalayas. The railway was the start of the tea’s distant journey to Britain. The world’s first mountain train continues to chug away in the Himalayas.