The Indian Railways will take steps to further improve the UNESCO heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), according to the chairman of the Indian Railway Board, Ashwini Lohani.

Mr Lohani, however, expressed concern over the encroachment along DHR tracks. Mr Lohani visited the Toy Train tracks, stations, and workshop at Tindharia on Tuesday.

He boarded the heritage coach ‘Everest’ pulled by a steam engine, with two special coaches attached. He toured some stretches in the train and some areas by road in the day-long visit.

This was his first visit of the region as the chairman of the board. “DHR is the second world railway heritage, so it is very important to us. We understand its importance and value. We inspected areas that lack infrastructure and we will see how to improve them. We will take all necessary steps to improve the DHR further,” he told reporters during his visit to the Sukna station near Siliguri.

Mr Lohani said modern AC coaches with all facilities will be introduced in the Toy Train like the Kalka-Simla heritage train.

“We will also encourage people to travel in the steam engine-run train,” he added.

In order to bring about a heritage feel, he ordered that all DHR staff be dressed in the original uniform being worn in the early pre-Independence days.

During his visit, Mr Lohani also reviewed the condition of the DHR properties damaged in violence during the Gorkhaland agitation last year. He said steps were being taken for their restoration.

In Darjeeling later, he said Sonada and Ghayabari stations, which were torched, will be repaired within six months, and that the Tindharia hospital will also be repaired and sheds at the workshop improved.

As he inspected the Tindharia workshop, he ordered facelift of the workshop to be completed by 1 April. Meanwhile, he expressed concerns over encroachments along the tracks.

“There are many encroachments. The state government has the main role to play here for the smooth running of the world heritage train. A request would be made to them,” Mr Lohani said. The chairman interacted with loco pilots, assistant loco pilots and guards.

He enquired about the maintenance of the engines and coaches, while also announcing an award of Rs 10,000 to the Sukna station for its good maintenance and cleanliness.

Asked about the hike in Toy Train fares, Mr Lohani said he would study the issue and see if they can be decreased to make it more economical and added that second-class coach service would be started to make the journey on the train more accessible for the general public.

He further said that Senior Supervisors working in the DHR would be sent for foreign training to make them aware of the superior standards being practised in maintenance and operation of narrow-gauge railways abroad.

He instructed that two rail buses be made in the workshop within the next six months. Railway officials said there are plans to introduce Rail Buses that would ply from NJP to Darjeeling and to put up more boards at Toy Train stations to attract more people to the DHR.

Mr Lohani was accompanied by senior officials of the railways, including general manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), Katihar divisional railway manager Chandra Prakash Gupta, director of DHR MK Narzary and NFR chief public relations officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma.

Mr Gupta said land acquisition for the Sevoke-Rangpo railway project was one of the main issues. He said the same was under process.

Mr Lohani said in Darjeeling that only seven of the 14 steam engines were working, and that the rest will also be repaired.

“Once the engines are up and running, we may increase the frequency of chartered steam engines from NJP to Darjeeling, while we will also introduce a regular steam engine service from Siliguri to Darjeeling once or twice a week,” he said.