Click to play videoSiliguri (West Bengal): The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway got a new addition in its 126th anniversary- The Himalayan Princess.
The new train got a red carpet welcome on the occasion with a music band playing and a much festivities on Thursday.
The Himalayan Princess runs on diesel and comes with some additions including better seating comfort.
By the time the Princess rolled out of Siliguri, it had already won the hearts of many present on the occasion. But many were wondering if the Princess' gait could be livelier.
"The speed can be increased so that the time taken for the journey reduces. Yes, we will organise inputs so that the speed can be increased,” says member, Railway Board, Rakesh Rao.
However, all is not well with the service, which has been listed by the UNESCO as a world heritage site.
The train service is running into huge losses. Officials say while the annual expenditure is eight crore rupees, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway's earnings barely touch 80 lakh rupees.
"We are also proud of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. But I don't want to lose that much of money also. So what we are trying to do now is try and reorganize things so that we can keep the heritage. We ill run it for the development of the area so that the area at the end of it will pay back,” says General Manager, North East Frontier Railway, Asutosh Swami.
The officials also promise much better facilities for passengers soon. So if you are looking to relive the romance of Parineet and Aradhana, you know where you have to be- The Himalayan Princess.
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