Trains came to India in the early part of the last century. Among the very first and the most novel is the famous Darjeeling Toy Train which made its maiden trip in September 1881. It is a pioneering work of achievement projecting not only its engineering ingenuity but it also marks the historic development of 19th century British Health Resort or convalescent centre in the remote North Eastern Himalayas.

The construction of the railway began under the name of "Darjeeling Tramway Co.", which was renamed the "Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Co." and has ever since retained this name officially.

The train passes through a variation of sheer panoramic beauty as soon as one begins the journey from Siliguri. First it's the dense jungles, then the tea plantations are seen clinging to the steep terraced mountains. Soon Sukna, the first station exhibits thick foliage of Sal, Toon and teak trees dotted with purple bougainvillea, scarlet poinsettia and exotic mauve of the orchids. The painstaking ascent of the train starts here. At Chunamandi it comes to its Z crossing and starts the zig-zagging or reversing to attain higher elevation. Tindharia, which has the railway repair workshop is the next station followed by Gayabari, where the train runs on the precipice edge.

In a distance is the Pagla Jhora the madly rumbling cascade of waters.Then quickly passing the Gladstone Rock - Kurseong, the town of "White Orchids" jumps into view, then comes Bungalow Bazaar. Soon it reaches Ghoom, the world's highest railroad station.

From here, the train starts descending gradually, crossing the evergreen pine forests to reach the graceful double loop at Batasia where a grand view of Darjeeling town presided over by the Mt. Kanchenjunga bursts before our eyes.