When was the last time you breathed the cool, fresh mountain air? If it was ages ago, then you need to pack and head out to the mountains right now. While the hills are the obvious reasons to visit the mountain regions of India, another reason is the beautiful rail routes. Laid by the British to reach these hill stations, the interesting part about these rail routes is that they still function with the same engines and carriages. The winding tracks, arched bridges, and hairpin turns of these mountain railways are feats of engineering.

One of the many features that segregates the hill stations from the rest of India are these train journeys. Three railways, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and the Kalka–Shimla Railway, are collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Mountain Railways of India. The fourth railway, the Matheran Hill Railway, is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. So, without any further ado, let us take you on an adventurous ride of these stunning Heritage mountain railways of India.

The small-gauge Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

The trains of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway are often called as the “toy train” for its miniature size. Opened in the year 1881, this toy train covers a distance of 88 km in West Bengal from New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling. Along with offering a delightful experience, the train journey also represents engineering skills of the highest order. The railway route has 8 major bridges, 542 minor bridges and 177 unmanned level crossings. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway received the World Heritage Site status on Dec. 2, 1999. It has the narrowest of the regular narrow gauges.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Spanning 29 miles of mountainous terrain in Tamil Nadu, this steam driven line passes through southern jungles, rising towards the terminus at Udhagamandalam. The Nilgiri line was proposed in the year 1854. But due to regional topographical issues, the work did not begin until 1891. The main features of this meter gauge line are the unique rack rail system (between Kallar to Coonoor) and the equally unique and complicated steam locomotives. On July 15, 2005, UNESCO recognized Nilgiri Mountain Railway as a World Heritage Site.

The narrow-gauge Kalka Shimla Railway

The narrow gauge Kalka Shimla Railway runs 60 miles and climbs around 4,659 feet. The tracks were designed and executed during the late 19th century, and the line delves through 102 tunnels, the largest of these tunnels is 3,750 feet long. Offering visual delights to the travelers, the train also crosses 864 bridges, many of which are viaducts with several levels of arched galleries reminiscent of ancient Rome’s aqueducts. On July 7, 2008 the Kalka-Shimla Railway was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

Neral-Matheran Light Hill Railway

Although not listed under the World Heritage Site, this narrow gauge line takes the sharpest curves when compared to any Indian railway line. The view throughout the journey is indeed breathtaking. Matheran is situated on a hilltop at an altitude of 800m, and passes through amazing mountain tunnels and dense forest of the region. Matheran is a Hill Station nested in the Western Ghat in the Raigad district of Maharashtra, It is also known as one of the smallest hill station in India.

A real treat for the tourists, these mountain railways are well maintained, and offers a unique experience of observing the beauty of nature from a close perspective. So ditch your monotonous schedule, and a plan a trip to the hills right away.