Planning a trip to Darjeeling this autumn or winter? Travellers will have special toy train services to choose from, with Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) announcing diesel and steam services on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The narrow-gauge mountain route in northern West Bengal suspended services earlier this week after heavy rain led to a roof collapse and left workers injured.
The special services will operate from October 1, 2026, to January 3, 2027, as per the official schedule released by the NFR on its X handle. Passengers will have the option of choosing from daily diesel joyrides between Darjeeling and Ghum, whereas those travelling from Kurseong will get steam and diesel options covering Mahanadi.
Darjeeling-Ghum: Two daily joyride options
Tourists looking to travel between Darjeeling and Ghum will have two daily diesel joyride services in each direction.
The first service, Train No. 02545 Darjeeling-Ghum Special Diesel Joyride, will leave Darjeeling at 9:20 am and arrive at Ghum at 10:05 am. For the return journey, Train No. 02546 Ghum-Darjeeling Special Diesel Joyride will leave Ghum at 10:25 am and reach Darjeeling at 11:05 am.
Passengers planning a later departure can opt for Train No. 02547, which will leave Darjeeling at 11:25 am and reach Ghum at 12:10 pm. Train No. 02548 will make the return journey, departing Ghum at 12:30 pm and reaching Darjeeling at 1:10 pm.
| Train No. | Route | Departure | Arrival |
| 02545 | Darjeeling-Ghum | Darjeeling – 9:20 am | Ghum – 10:05 am |
| 02546 | Ghum-Darjeeling | Ghum – 10:25 am | Darjeeling – 11:05 am |
| 02547 | Darjeeling-Ghum | Darjeeling – 11:25 am | Ghum – 12:10 pm |
| 02548 | Ghum-Darjeeling | Ghum – 12:30 pm | Darjeeling – 1:10 pm |
Want a steam train joyride? Check Kurseong service
Travellers looking for a steam train journey can choose Train No. 02542 Kurseong-Mahanadi-Kurseong Red Panda Steam Special. The train will begin from Kurseong at 9 am and arrive at Mahanadi at 10 am. It will leave Mahanadi at 10:15 am and reach Kurseong at 11 am.
Afternoon diesel option from Kurseong
NFR has also announced Train No. 02543, Kurseong-Mahanadi-Kurseong Mukta Dhara Diesel Special. The service will depart Kurseong at 3:15 pm and reach Mahanadi at 4 pm. After a 10-minute stoppage, it will leave Mahanadi at 4:10 pm and return to Kurseong at 5 pm.
When will the special service operate?
All special services listed by NFR will run from October 1, 2026, to January 3, 2027. For passengers planning their Darjeeling trip during this period, the schedule offers morning and afternoon options across Darjeeling-Ghum and Kurseong-Mahanadi sections.