Siliguri, 24th December: The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) has decided to resume the Toy Train Joyride from Christmas with COVID-19 safety precautions.
Reportedly, the Toy Train will operate between Darjeeling and Ghoom stations starting December 25 after being suspended following the COVID-19 outbreak in the last week of March.
DHR director Arvind Mishra said that a proposal to run the toy train was sent to the District Magistrate, following which, the said proposal was conveyed to the State Transport Department. Passengers will be required to strictly follow the Covid-19 related guidelines and wear masks, maintain social distancing, and use hand sanitizer.
The State Transport Department, on Wednesday, gave a green signal to DHR to run the toy train from December 25. Initially, there will be three joy rides from Darjeeling to Ghoom every day and later will be started from Siliguri.
The Toy Train Joyride is one of the major attractions for tourists visiting the Darjeeling hills. The resumption of the services will give a much needed boost to the tourism sector in the hills which has suffered immensely due to the pandemic.