The regular toy train service of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) between New Jalpaiguri (NJP) and Darjeeling railway stations will remain suspended till September 20, officials of the mountain railway said on Monday.

Sources said that because of landslides and cave-ins reported in different locations along the NH110 (formerly NH55), along which the tracks run, certain stretches of rail tracks are still not fit to run the toy train.

Normally, a pair of toy trains hauled by diesel locos run between NJP and Darjeeling every day.

After the Covid-19 pandemic, this is the first time that the service will be held up for such a long period. During monsoons, the DHR authorities suspended the service on July 7.

“We have inspected the affected stretches of the tracks. There are certain stretches where the tracks are not fit for train operations and need more repairs. That is why the regular service has been halted till September 20,” said Priyanshu, the DHR director.

The DHR director mentioned that they intend to finish the necessary repair work during the next couple of weeks. “We hope the regular service will resume between NJP and Darjeeling from September 21,” he said.

Those associated with tourism, however, are perturbed as to whether the service will start before the commencement of the festive season when tourists start flocking to the hills. The toy trains are a big tourist attraction.

“For tourists, Joy Rides (a return trip between Darjeeling and Ghum stations) is the most popular toy train ride. However, some tourists want to enjoy a longer journey on the toy train, right from NJP to Darjeeling stations. The DHR authorities have now suspended this ride.... We can only hope they start the service by this month-end as they have said,” said Debasish Maitra, a tour operator based in Siliguri.

The DHR train services between Darjeeling and Kurseong and eight joy rides are unimpaired, said sources.