Meet Sarita Yolmo: Darjeeling's iconic toy train welcomes first woman TTE in 145 years

First woman TTE takes historic tour duty on Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Image: Northeast Frontier Railway CPRO)

For over a century, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has carried passengers along its steep hill tracks, earning a place in history as a marvel of mountain engineering. For nearly 145 years, however, no woman had served as a Travelling Ticket Examiner on its heritage toy train. That changed recently with the appointment of Sarita Yolmo, who has become the first woman TTE to be assigned the prestigious ‘Tour Duty’ on the iconic railway.

Sarita’s journey to this role reflects years of dedication and adaptability. As reported by ANI, she began her career in the Railway Press, where she worked until the unit was closed. Rather than let this end her career, she moved to the commercial department and became a TTE based in New Jalpaiguri (NJP). While her regular duties remain at NJP, she is now also assigned to the DHR heritage tours, becoming the first woman in Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) history to do so. “I am proud to be the first woman TTE in a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway toy train in its history,” Yolmo told PTI.

TTEs for the NJP–Darjeeling route are deputed by the Chief Travelling Ticket Inspector (CTTI) office at NJP. Yolmo added, “Though I had no prior experience of working as a TTE in trains, I gathered courage and took responsibility for the passengers as the first woman TTE in the toy train service. I was a little anxious on my first journey, but I felt very good after completing the route and reaching Darjeeling.”

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the Toy Train, is a narrow-gauge railway that connects New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling across 78 km of steep and hilly terrain. Constructed between 1879 and 1881, the railway climbs from about 100 metres in the plains to over 2,200 metres in the hills, using loops and zigzags to manage the steep slopes.

In 1999, it was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, becoming the first hill railway in India and the first industrial heritage site in Asia to receive this distinction. The DHR forms part of the Mountain Railways of India listing, along with the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kalka-Shimla Railway.