All aboard the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway - in pictures


The National

Situated between the foot of the Himalayas and the northern extreme of Bangladesh lies the starting terminal of India's highest railway - the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

Built between 1879 and 1881, the narrow-gauge line runs from 100-metres above sea level at New Jalpaijuri to 2,200m in Darjeeling.

To get from one end of the 88-kilometre line to the other, the steam engines negotiate the steep climbs by either zig-zagging or looping.

It serves tourists and schoolchildren alike and earned a Unesco World Heritage site status in 1999.

Check out some of the sights on the railway line in the gallery above.

SPECS

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now