Mountain Railways of India
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Overview
The Mountain Railways of India World Heritage Site covers three hill lines: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West Bengal (inscribed 1999), the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu (added 2005) and the Kalka–Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh (added 2008).
They were built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries using loops, zigzags and rack systems to climb steep slopes. The Nilgiri line still uses a rack-and-pinion system.
They show how colonial engineering opened up hill stations.
Geography and key facts
- Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999)
- Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005)
- Kalka–Shimla Railway (2008)
- Narrow and metre gauge hill lines
Why it matters for UPSC
A serial WHS spread over three states – a common trick in state-count questions.
Note for UPSC
Cultural World Heritage Site, inscribed 1999 · West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh.
UPSC asks about the state, the dynasty or period, and whether a site is cultural or natural.
Asked in PYQs
No question in our Prelims bank names Mountain Railways of India yet.
Key facts
- Type
- World Heritage Site
- States / UTs
- West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh
- Heritage type
- Cultural
- Inscribed (UNESCO)
- 1999
- Coordinates
- 27.045°N, 88.267°E
11.344°N, 76.792°E
31.105°N, 77.173°E
3 markers on the map
From the Map Explorer data; positions are for orientation.
In the lessons
- Indian Architecture and Temple Styles (map lesson)
- Performing Arts, Paintings and Heritage (map lesson)
- Hindu Temple Architecture: Nagara, Dravida and Vesara (map lesson)
- Indo-Islamic, Mughal and Colonial Architecture (map lesson)
- Mughal Culture: Architecture, Painting, Literature and Music (map lesson)
More world heritage sites nearby
Other places in West Bengal & Tamil Nadu
All world heritage sites · Revision list · Most asked in PYQs