Apart from encroachments along Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) train tracks, illegal parking of vehicles has also come up as a major hindrance when it comes to smooth running of the heritage Toy Train.
Railway officials have said that the parking on and very near along the railwway tracks has often hampered the movement of the trains, while on several occasions the trains have had to wait for several minutes before the track was cleared of the vehicle parked on the tracks.
During a promotional run of the air-conditioned coach of the Toy Train on 5 April, the train had to stop for a while as a car was crossing the tracks at Salbari near Siliguri.
Railway officials travelling in the train had to get down to look into the matter. “Such incidents when the trains have to stop are a common occurance, as the roads have almost no parking places or facilities,” a local man said.
The Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) of the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station, Partha Paratim Roy, said there were provisions that the Railways could take legal steps against those who park their vehicles on the tracks illegally.
“We do lodge complaints with the police against such hindrances,” Mr Roy said. A senior DHR official, however, said complaints are seldom filed against such lawbreakers. A senior tour operator, Samrat Sanyal, said the authorities concerned should take necessary steps to create parking facilities so that people can park their vehicles properly.
“DHR is a world heritage site recognised by UNESCO. It attracts a large number of tourists. Parking on the tracks affects the smooth running of the Toy Train and causes delay. The authorities concerned should be more active to look for parking spaces for vehicles that need to park on the roadsides,” Mr Sanyal said.
He said encroachments along the tracks are also a major concern. During his visit earlier, chairman of the Indian Railway Board, Aswini Lohani, had also expressed concern over the encroachment along the tracks.