Darjeeling toy train " The Himalayan Railway" awaiting passengers

The Darjeeling toy train, renowned the world over for its uniqueness, is waiting to ferry passengers following the return of some semblance of peace and order in the hills.

The flow of tourists to the hills is building up gradually and they would not miss the one-off ride in the toy train that has been in the backdrop of many Bollywood movies.

A group of seven visitors from Mumbai reached New Jalpaiguri today en route to Darjeeling. Ramesh Salunke from Mankhud (Navi Mumbai) said, “We are visiting Darjeeling for the first time and are looking forward to travel in the toy train that we have seen only in the movies.”

The toy train surged immensely in popularity after the 1969 super hit movie ‘Aradhana’ starring Bollywood greats Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore featured it in several romantic scenes amid the beautiful Darjeeling hills.

Other notable movies featuring the toy train are ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman’ (1992), ‘Parineeta’ (2005) and ‘Barfi!’ (2012).

‘The Darjeeling Limited,’ a film by Wes Anderson, features a trip by three brothers on a fictional long-distance train based loosely on the Darjeeling toy train.(EOI)