Bista eyes separate division for Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

Darjeeling: Darjeeling Member of Parliament Raju Bista will be making the demand that the world heritage Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) be converted into a separate railway zone or division.

At present, it is under the North Eastern Frontier Railways.

On Tuesday, the MP visited the railway station in Darjeeling and spoke to the officials and employees. "The DHR is a world heritage. It is an integral part of the lives of the people of this region. It is a part of the daily life of people through which the train passes. It carries the rich history and legacy of this place. We have to be more focused on the DHR," stated the BJP MP.

Talking to media persons in Siliguri, Bista stated that as soon as he returns to Delhi

he will take up the issue of creating separate DHR division or zone.

"This will give more focus to the DHR. People from all over the world visit Darjeeling to see and ride the DHR. We have to overhaul it and improvise on it," stated Bista.

In Kurseong, the MP was apprised of the Railway printing press that has been shut down as manual tickets are no longer printed.

"However the local residents have approached me with the proposal that this age old printing press should be converted into a museum. I will take it up with the Railways," assured Bista.

In 1879, work first started on the DHR, then called the Darejeeling Steam Tramways. DHR was inscribed as the a world heritage site on December 2, 1999.