The railways would start a second class coach service and look into the possibility of reducing fares in the internationally famed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Railway Board Chairman Ashwini Lohani announced on Tuesday.
Talking to mediapersons after a day-long visit of the DHR - adjudged UNESCO World Heritage Railway, he said that all restoration work would be done to preserve the heritage character of the hill railway.
Lohani said the authorities would look into the possibility of reduction of fares in the narrow-gauge hill railway to make it more economical. A second-class coach service would be started to make the journey on the train more accessible for general public.
On his maiden visit to the DHR, he arrived at New Jalpaiguri on Tuesday morning to take stock of the ground realities of the famous hill railway and efforts to make it sutainable.
Lohani started his inspection of the entire narrow gauge section from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling on a special train and visited Tindharia workshop, Kurseong station and Loco shed, Ghum station and museum and Darjeeling Station and Loco Shed.
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In order to bring a heritage feel, he directed all DHR staff to be dressed in the original uniform worn in early pre-Independence days.
He directed that the ongoing facelift of the Tindharia workshop be completed by April 1.
He said senior supervisors working in DHR would be sent for foreign training to make them aware of the superior standards which are practised in maintenance and operation of narrow-gauge railways abroad. He instructed that two rail buses be made in the workshop within the next six months.
Lohani said all 14 steam engines, which are the primary USP of the Hill railway, would be revived.
Air-brake modification of steam engine to be done to increase efficiency and reduce manpower requirement.
The Railways have already entered into an MoU with Heavy Engineering Corporation for design, fabrication/manufacture and supply of spares for the steam locomotives in DHR.
At Kurseong station a brief presentation was made by the UNESCO team working on the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) to apprise the Chairman on the progress made on devising a plan for heritage conservation of DHR.
Lohani assured all possible help from Railway side. He also inspected the air-conditioned coach developed indigenously for DHR and expressed satisfaction with the innovation.
He instructed that all first class coaches be made air-conditioned within a short period.
A railway spokesman said Lohani's visit is significant in the sense that he was responsible for drafting the application for inclusion of DHR in the UNESCO World Heritage list in the 1990s.
--IANS
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