Darjeeling: The passengers of a toy train were left in shock on Monday afternoon after a steam locomotive of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR) derailed at Mary Villa Kakjhora in Darjeeling. Officials noted this as the third instance of a DHR locomotive going off the tracks. Fortunately, as per reports, there were no reported casualties. Recovery operations swiftly mobilised and the steam loco was put on track soon after the evacuation of the passengers.

The derailment occurred during a joy ride between Darjeeling and Ghum, with 59 passengers aboard the two coaches. 

Local reports further suggest that Darjeeling Himalayan Railways operates 12 joy ride services; however, in response to a gradual decline in tourist numbers in the Hills, service frequencies are set to decrease in coming days. Among the remaining services, a few trains will be powered by diesel engines while the other ones will continue with steam locomotives