The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) has registered a rise in ticket sales with thousands of tourists pouring into the hills every day to get respite from the current heat.

“All seats for the regular toy train service of the DHR from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling have been booked till May. Only a few tickets are available in the toy train that runs in the opposite direction (Darjeeling to NJP),” said an official of the Northeast Frontier Railway, under which the DHR operates.

Every day, two toy trains run on the route. Each train is hauled by a diesel loco and has an air-conditioned coach and a first-class compartment. One toy train has 33 seats.

Like the regular service, no tickets are available for the joy rides between Darjeeling and Ghoom, the highest railway station in India. It is a return trip during which each train covers a distance of 14km via Batasia Loop.

“Last month, we introduced four more joy rides. In total, 12 rides are available now. We have decided to continue the rides till June because there is a huge demand and tickets are not available till May end,” the NFR official said.

The DHR, the Unesco-recognised world heritage site, has always been a tourist attraction.

Sources in the DHR said they had earlier introduced certain short rides, both in the plains and the hills.

“However, because of a lack of passengers, we have stopped such rides. But now that there is a rush of tourists to the hills, there might be a demand for more services. In such a situation, we will resume short rides," the NFR official said.