Comment: The decline of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Railways should not be just about heritage. They are at their best when they are functioning lines serving an economic and social purpose.

When I visited Darjeeling 20 years ago, the famous narrow gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway that runs next to the road up the hill was still functioning relatively well.

It had scheduled trains, and it was still transporting a few patient local passengers who were keen to avoid the ghastly winding mountain road from Siliguri. There were also daily services for schoolchildren.

That is no longer the case. Owing to a shortage of funds, mishaps such as landslides, and local conflicts, compounded by incompetent management and the absence of a clear strategy, this famous UNESCO world heritage line has become the ‘toy railway’ which has long been its nickname.

Trains run sporadically and break down all the time. Our train derailed in Kurseong, about two-thirds of the way up - an occurrence that is all too frequent.

The toy train really has become a toy train, and yet it could still perform a vital service as well as attracting countless tourists. But it needs to be more than a heritage line.

The same point can be made about the trams in Kolkata. They have been reduced to the occasional charter service, and the police - eager to regain road space - are pressing for the whole system to be closed down permanently.

This would be a tragic mistake. At a time when many cities across all continents are building new lines or reopening old ones, Kolkata is out of kilter with the rest of the world.

Rather than trying to preserve a few heritage trams, the city authorities should be pushing for a second generation to bring it into the 21st century.

Given the number of tracks which still exist on the city’s main roads, this would be a fantastic way of boosting the local economy.