Amid the routine rain on mist-filled mountains of Darjeeling in India’s north-east, a driver and his stoker shovel coal to power a 19th-century “toy train” – still running 76 years after former colonial power Britain left.
Moments later, thick, black smoke billows from the engine of the narrow-gauge train packed with tourists, and off it chugs through the natural beauty of the West Bengal tea-growing region.
Darjeeling, at an altitude of 2,045m above sea level in the foothills of the Himalayas, served as a summer resort for British officials and their families from the 18th until they left in 1947.
It is known for its panoramic views, steep hills and rolling tea gardens – growing some of the finest teas in the world – and British-era churches and colonial buildings.
Adding to its popularity is the narrow-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
Dating back to the 1880s, it is one of the oldest railways and the only fully operational public 610mm railway left in the world.
Recognised as an engineering marvel, the railway features on the Unesco World Heritage list.
The dinky trains hug cliff edges as they run on tiny zig-zag tracks and loop across a circuit of almost 90km between the hill town and the city of Siliguri.
The train reaches an altitude of more than 2,200m at Ghum – the highest railway station in the country – offering an exhilarating experience and a bird's-eye view of the sprawling tea gardens and picturesque valleys.
Every year, more than a million tourists throng to the town to see the trains, according to government records, although not all take the rail trip.
“Fast trains are everywhere in the world but this is a heritage train and 140 years old. Most of its heritage aspects have been retained, be it the tracks, the coaches, the engine and stations,” DHR director Priyanshu, who only uses one name, told The National.
“This is a nostalgia that cannot be experienced in a broad-gauge train. Those who like history and heritage come for the ride. Last year, more than 156,000 tourists boarded the toy trains.”
Engineering wonder
Establishing a railway network in the steep, mountainous region in the 19th century was no mean feat, and the DHR was recognised as an engineering wonder by the UN's cultural agency in 1999.
The British established the first commercial tea gardens in the region in 1846. With growing demands, they built DHR as a means to transport tea leaves from the hills to the plains to reduce time and ease the burden on mules.
It was also a favoured mode of transport among locals.
The work started on the railway line in 1879 and took four years.
There are six zig-zag systems to navigate the steep terrain and three loops – the most popular being the Batasia Loop.
The Batasia Loop was constructed to scale a steep gradient of 45m, that the train encounters on its downhill journey from Ghum. At this loop, the train takes a 360-degree turn and crosses the track before it enters a tunnel.
Priyanshu said that it can get difficult to maintain train upkeep, especially as spare parts are no longer available.
“We have an adequate staff, a total 500-odd staff for maintaining the tracks, coaches, engine.
"It is tough particularly for the steam engine, as the spare parts are not available. The engine is more than 100 years old. We either get second-hand parts or get them custom-made,” he said.
Joyride for tourists
Two standard trains for locals travel between Darjeeling and neighbouring districts, while another two “joyride" trains – including the steam engine – are aimed at tourists.
The regular trains have three coaches – first and second-class, and a second-class coach that also functions as a luggage van. The joyride service has three coaches for the steam engine.
The trains run daily and, despite travelling at a snail’s pace, are almost always packed with enthusiastic passengers.
“It is my first experience in a steam train and I am hoping to enjoy the ride. I have always seen the train in films,” Abhijeet Singh, a tourist from Indore in central India, told The National.
“The steam engine trains are from the British era and I wanted to experience this journey with my child. The train also gives the opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Darjeeling,” he said.
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
MATCH INFO
UAE Division 1
Abu Dhabi Harlequins 12-24 Abu Dhabi Saracens
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Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
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Company profile
Date started: January, 2014
Founders: Mike Dawson, Varuna Singh, and Benita Rowe
Based: Dubai
Sector: Education technology
Size: Five employees
Investment: $100,000 from the ExpoLive Innovation Grant programme in 2018 and an initial $30,000 pre-seed investment from the Turn8 Accelerator in 2014. Most of the projects are government funded.
Partners/incubators: Turn8 Accelerator; In5 Innovation Centre; Expo Live Innovation Impact Grant Programme; Dubai Future Accelerators; FHI 360; VSO and Consult and Coach for a Cause (C3)
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
PULITZER PRIZE 2020 WINNERS
JOURNALISM
Public Service
Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ProPublica
Breaking News Reporting
Staff of The Courier-Journal, Louisville, Ky.
Investigative Reporting
Brian M. Rosenthal of The New York Times
Explanatory Reporting
Staff of The Washington Post
Local Reporting
Staff of The Baltimore Sun
National Reporting
T. Christian Miller, Megan Rose and Robert Faturechi of ProPublica
and
Dominic Gates, Steve Miletich, Mike Baker and Lewis Kamb of The Seattle Times
International Reporting
Staff of The New York Times
Feature Writing
Ben Taub of The New Yorker
Commentary
Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times
Criticism
Christopher Knight of the Los Angeles Times
Editorial Writing
Jeffery Gerritt of the Palestine (Tx.) Herald-Press
Editorial Cartooning
Barry Blitt, contributor, The New Yorker
Breaking News Photography
Photography Staff of Reuters
Feature Photography
Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of the Associated Press
Audio Reporting
Staff of This American Life with Molly O’Toole of the Los Angeles Times and Emily Green, freelancer, Vice News for “The Out Crowd”
LETTERS AND DRAMA
Fiction
"The Nickel Boys" by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday)
Drama
"A Strange Loop" by Michael R. Jackson
History
"Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America" by W. Caleb McDaniel (Oxford University Press)
Biography
"Sontag: Her Life and Work" by Benjamin Moser (Ecco/HarperCollins)
Poetry
"The Tradition" by Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
General Nonfiction
"The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care" by Anne Boyer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
and
"The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America" by Greg Grandin (Metropolitan Books)
Music
"The Central Park Five" by Anthony Davis, premiered by Long Beach Opera on June 15, 2019
Special Citation
Ida B. Wells
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 3.9 seconds
Price: Dh230,000
On sale: now
