Click to play videoNew Delhi: Land slides and political protests have put one of Darjeeling's biggest attractions, the Toy Train, off the tracks. With both hurdles looking tough to get past, the 128-year old world heritage may not attract any efforts towards renovation.
It was immortalised by this evergreen numbers from Bollywood hits like Aradhana and Parineeta.
But the scenic Toy Train service to Darjeeling has come to a screeching halt over the past two and a half month period, thanks to landslides and several bandhs called by groups demanding statehood for Gorkhaland.
Records show that in the past two years the Darjeeling Himalyan Railway serviec has been disrupted for 170 days. 22 days were lost in this year alone, due to protests by the Gurkha Janmukti Morcha.
Ahead of the festive Puja season, those in the tourism business are crestfallen.
The President, East Himalayan Travel and Tour Operators, Raj Basu said, "By this time of the year, for the months between October to March we already have 14 to 15 charters which are already booked by this time for the tourism industry. But this year, people are waiting for things to clear up actually."
Meanwhile, the losses keep mounting.
The Director, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Subroto Nath said, "In a day we earn around 50,000 rupees. So, that is about 15 lakhs per month. If we lose three months in a year, our earning loss will become around 40 to 45 lakhs."
The Darjeeling Himalayan rail, which enjoys a UNESCO World Industrial Heritage status, is especially popular among European tourists. So much so, that a replica of the service is successfully operating in the United Kingdom. It's ironic that while the imitation chugs on peacefully, the 128-years-old original screeches to a halt in Darjeeling.
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