The Northeast FrontierRailway (NFR) will introduce a new tri-weekly toy train service of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR)between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling from Monday.

“The new passenger service of the DHR that will start on September 26 will comprise an AC vistadome coach and an AC restaurant-cum-power bogie, both of which altogether can accommodate 23 passengers. The coaches would be hauled by a diesel loco,” said Sabyasachi De, the chief public relation officer of the NFR. The new service will operate from NJP on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

From Darjeeling, the tri-weekly service will be available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.“The train will leave NJPat 10 am and reach Darjeelingat 6.30pm. The train will return from Darjeeling at 9.10amand reach NJP at 4.35pm. The new service is on top of the regular services between the two stations every day,” the CPRO added.

A passenger has to shell out Rs 1,500 for a seat in the AC vistadome coach and Rs 1,300in the dining car. Since September 1, the regular toy train service between NJP and Darjeeling has been disrupted frequently because of recurring landslides between Tindharia and Rongtong stations. Initially, it remained suspended from September 1 to 13. The service resumed on September 14 but again stopped on September 17 because a fresh landslide blocked the tracks near Tindharia from.

The DHR authorities have planned to restore the route by September 25. In the past few years, a number of new facilities and services were introduced on the DHR route to draw more passengers. They included the introduction of AC coaches,day-long tea jungle safari and chartered services. The number of joy rides— between Darjeeling andGhoom stations and the most popular among tourists — was increased.

“As of now, there are eight joy rides available for passengers. From October 1, we have planned to introduce four more joy rides,” said a railway official.