Siliguri Junction – Rangtong Evening Safari [1] is the tourist special steam engine powered train in India that runs between Siliguri Junction and Rangtong in the Indian state of West Bengal. The train belongs to the Northeast Frontier Railway zone of Indian Railways. This train runs on Narrow Gauge line of Indian Railways. The service was officially started from 31 August 2021 from Siliguri Junction.[2] [3]
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Tourist Train |
| Locale | West Bengal |
| First service | 31 August 2021 |
| Current operator(s) | Northeast Frontier Railways |
| Route | |
| Termini | Siliguri Junction 26.7234°N 88.4138°E / 26.7234; 88.4138 (Siliguri Junction station) Rangtong 26.8364°N 88.3424°E / 26.8364; 88.3424 (Rangtong station) |
| Stops | 05 |
| Distance travelled | 32 km (20 mi) |
| Average journey time | 3 hrs 03 mins |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train number(s) | 52556 |
| On-board services | |
| Class(es) | First Class (FC) |
| Seating arrangements | Yes |
| Sleeping arrangements | No |
| Catering facilities | No |
| Baggage facilities | Available |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | ICF coaches |
| Track gauge | 610 mm (2 ft) Narrow gauge |
| Operating speed | Avg. Speed – 10km/hr |
The train starts its journey from Platform number 01 (narrow gauge) of Siliguri Junction at 14:45 and reaches Sukna at 15:20 after a ten-minute halt it continues its journey and reaches Rangtong at 16:20. For reverse direction, the train starts from Rangtong at 16:40 and reaches Sukna at 17:20. After a five-minute, halt it again travels from Sukna and reaches Siliguri Junction at 18:05. Through its journey through narrow gauge, the train passes through beautiful Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, tea gardens, hills, valleys, rivers etc. It provides once in a lifetime experience for the travellers in the steam engine powered train. The train runs entirely in Darjeeling district of West Bengal.[4]
The train is hauled by Steam Engine of Darjeeling Loco Shed for its entire journey.
The train reverses its direction in Rangtong Railway station.
Mountain railways in India | |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site |
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| UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list |
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| Other mountain railways |
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