The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) will operate four more joy ride services of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) between Darjeeling and Ghoom stations from October 21.

The additional services, railway officials said, will continue till December 5 to cater to the rush of passengers, especially tourists, who have started flocking to the hills.

“Considering the extra rush of passengers during the current tourist season, it has been decided to introduce four more joy ride services of the DHR from next Monday,” said K. K. Sharma, the chief public relations officer of the NFR on Saturday.

The joy ride is the most popular service of the century-old mountain rail in the hills. It is a return trip between Darjeeling and Ghoom covering the famous Batasia Loop.

Sharma said the new services will be run by diesel locos and these additional trains will depart from Darjeeling everyday at 9.20am, 11.25am, 1.25pm, and 3.30pm.

“A diesel locomotive will haul three first-class chair car coaches which altogether can accommodate 89 passengers,” he said.

As of now, the DHR is running eight joy rides and a pair of passenger services between Darjeeling and Kurseong every day.