TTT NEWS NETWORK
KURSEONG | 25 AUGUST 2026
On the occasion of the upcoming Durga Puja festival season, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) will introduce special additional joyride services to provide tourists and visitors with more opportunities to experience the heritage railway and the scenic beauty of the Darjeeling hills.
Starting 1 October 2026, DHR will operate special joyride services, comprising four single trip joyrides between Darjeeling and Ghum and two round-trip joyrides between Kurseong and Mahanadi.
Four Single-Trip Joyrides between Darjeeling & Ghum will operate as follows:
Darjeeling to Ghum-
*Departure: 09:20 hrs
Departure: 11:25 hrs
Ghum to Darjeeling-
Departure: 10:25 hrs
*Departure: 12:30 hrs
These services will be operated by diesel-hauled trains.The proposed fare for a single trip between Darjeeling and Ghum, or Ghum and Darjeeling is ₹800.
Two Round-Trip Joyrides will operate between Kurseong and Mahanadi offering passengers an opportunity to experience the scenic and heritage-rich section of the DHR.
The first round trip ( Red Panda) will operate with:
Departure- Kurseong to Mahanadi: 09:00 hrs
Departure-Mahanadi to Kurseong: 10:00 hrs
This service will be operated by the steam-hauled train. The proposed fare for the round trip is ₹1,530.
The second round trip will be introduced as ‘Mukta Dhara’, with:
Departure- Kurseong to Mahanadi: 15:15 hrs
Departure – Mahanadi to Kurseong: 16:00 hrs
The Mukta Dhara service will be diesel-hauled, with a proposed round-trip fare of ₹1,030
“The service has been named ‘Mukta Dhara’ as a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore, one of India’s most celebrated poets and literary figures. Tagore’s celebrated poem ‘Mukta Dhara’ is associated with the natural beauty of Paglajhora, further strengthening the connection between the service, the region’s landscape and its rich literary heritage.”
With these special services, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway aims to add a distinctive heritage experience to the Durga Puja festive season, allowing visitors to enjoy the region’s historic railway, steam heritage, landscapes and cultural legacy.
The festival-season services will commence from 1 October 2026 and are expected to offer tourists and local visitors another memorable way to experience the living heritage of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
A special run of the Mukta Dhara service will also be organised at Mahanadi Railway Station towards the end of September, during the eve of the Station Mahotsav, ahead of the regular commencement of the service.
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