Darjeeling Himalayan Railway earnings reached a record ₹395.60 lakh in May, helped by strong summer tourist arrivals and higher passenger revenue. It was the UNESCO heritage toy train’s highest-ever single-month revenue.

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway earnings reach record
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway earnings reach record

Kurseong (WB): The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) recorded its best monthly revenue performance in May, as visitor traffic to the hills remained strong during the summer season. An official said on Wednesday that the railway earned ₹395.60 lakh during the month, moving above the previous record of ₹358.60 lakh set in May 2025.

Why Darjeeling Himalayan Railway earnings set a record?

The May revenue data shows how the toy train service has generally gained from summer travel demand over the past five years. DHR earned ₹319.64 lakh in May 2022 and ₹358.18 lakh in May 2023, before the figure dropped to ₹288.58 lakh in May 2024.

That fall was the only exception in the five-year pattern cited by the official. In May 2024, Lok Sabha elections for 42 constituencies in West Bengal were held in seven phases, while earnings recovered to ₹358.60 lakh the following year.

Tourist joyride remains the main draw

The Darjeeling–Ghoom tourist joyride remains the most popular service on the route. It includes a stop at the famous Batasia Loop, which is also mentioned in the official Darjeeling district tourism description of the DHR joyride.

DHR operates other services on the heritage line as well. Among them are trains with a vistadome coach and a restaurant car, which add further options for tourists travelling through the hills.

June 2026 revenue may also stay strong

The official said the projected June 2026 revenue of the UNESCO heritage toy train service is likely to exceed ₹370 lakh. The projection refers to the service between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling.

The latest May result supports DHR’s recent passenger earnings trend and reflects continued tourist demand for one of the region’s best-known railway attractions, previously profiled by Railway Supply in its overview of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.