Which mountain railway in India is known as the “Toy Train” and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999?

The Indian mountain railway known as the “Toy Train” and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway connects New Jalpaiguri with Darjeeling in West Bengal. Built between 1879 and 1881, it uses a narrow gauge of 2 feet, or 610 millimetres, to climb from the plains toward the Himalayan hill town. Its compact steam locomotives, small coaches and winding route led to the affectionate “Toy Train” nickname.

The railway climbs steep terrain using engineering features such as reverses and loops. The most famous is Batasia Loop, where the track curves around itself to gain elevation. The line was built to support access to Darjeeling, which had become an important hill station, and it also carried tea and other goods.

The UNESCO inscription recognized the railway as an outstanding example of a hill passenger railway. India’s Nilgiri Mountain Railway and Kalka–Shimla Railway later joined it in the UNESCO Mountain Railways of India group, but they are separate lines.