As Durga Puja festivities draw to a close, and a multitude of vacationers gear up to board the Darjeeling Mail for their return journey from North Bengal to Kolkata, the Eastern Railway is commemorating this iconic train, one of the oldest and most beloved in the Indian Railways.
The Darjeeling Mail, with its rich history, began its operations in 1878, a mere nine years following the inception of the Sealdah station. At that time, the station was known as the Calcutta Station.
Kausik Mitra, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Eastern Railway, attested to the train's enduring popularity and prestige. "She is one of the most popular and prestigious trains run by the Indian Railways. The Darjeeling Mail is still the first choice for people traveling between Kolkata and North Bengal, though there are many more trains now," he affirmed.
Back in 1878, the railway route from Kolkata to Siliguri was a two-stage journey. The initial leg encompassed a 184.9-kilometer route along the Eastern Bengal State Railway, stretching from the then Calcutta Station to Damookdeah Ghat, situated on the southern bank of the Padma River.