Darjeeling Himalayan Railways

Why in news?

• A section of people in the Darjeeling hills of West Bengal are protesting against the Centre’s proposed monetisation of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR).

About:

• Darjeeling Himalayan Railways was built in the British era between 1879 and 1881.
• It is located in the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal. It is the most outstanding example of a hill passenger railway.
• It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

Add on:

• Apart from Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, there are other three fully functional and operational railways networks in mountains and hilly terrains in India
  • The Nilgiris Mountain Railways located in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu
    • Declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2005
  • The Kalka Shimla Railway located in the Himalayan foothills of Himachal Pradesh
    • Declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2008
  • The Matheran Hill Railway located in Maharashtra.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Consider the following pairs:

Mountain Railways                    : State

1. Kalka Shimla Railway                  : Himachal Pradesh

2. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway  : Assam

3. Matheran Hill Railway                 : Maharashtra

Which of the pairs given above is /are correct?

(a) 2 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 2 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer