List of Mountain Rail-Routes in India

Wandering through the mountains is a great experience one could have, and so traveling by railway is just another dimension to feeling it


Approximately 30% of India's land is mountainous. The great Himalayas, extending from north to the east, the majestic Western Ghats-The Sahyadris, and the magnificent Eastern Ghat spread towards the south.


Railways in India were first introduced in 1853, and since then it has grown exponentially to reach out to most of the places in the country. Due to the hot and humid climate during summer in the plains, The British built some of these routes to reach and enjoy the cooler environment on the hills. Today, these hill stations are one of the most visited places in the country.



Jammu – Baramulla Rail Route

Jammu – Baramulla line is a rail route constructed in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kasmir. The work on this project is still in progress in some of the areas. The Baramulla to Banihal route, Jammu to Udhampur, and Udhampur to Katra route are operating.

The route elevation varies from 300 meters to 1600 meters. Jammu Tawi railway station is well connected by roads, railways, and the airways.

Runs between Jammu - Baramulla

Distance: 356 Km Approximately




Pathankot - Joginder Nagar Rail Route

Known as the Kangra Valley Railway is a rail route that starts from the city of Pathankot in Punjab and ends in Joginder Nagar in Himachal Pradesh. Kangra Valley is a region in the state of Himachal Pradesh in India. It is one of the most visited places in Himachal. The route elevation is about 733 meters to 1,290 meters with Ahju railway station being the highest.

Runs between Pathankot - Joginder Nagar

Distance: 163 Km Approximately




Kalka – Shimla Rail Route

The Kalka-Shimla rail route is the railway line that unites the vast plains of India to the Himalayas. It is known as the Kalka-Shimla railway. It begins from Kalka, a city in the Panchkula district of Haryana that connects the summer capital of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla. The elevation of this route ranges from 656 meters to 2,276 meters. Shimla is one of the few hill stations in India that you can directly reach by railway.

Runs between Kalka - Shimla

Distance: 96 Km Approximately

Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.




New Jalpaiguri- Darjeeling Rail Route

This route starts from New Jalpaiguri Junction, which is about 6 Kilometers from Siliguri. The line is known as Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The altitude of this route varies from 90 meters to 2,258 meters. Ghum railway station is the highest railway station in India that lies on this route. The New Jalpaiguri railway junction is well connected by roads and railway to other parts of the country.

Runs between Siliguri- Darjeeling

Distance: 88 Km Approximately

Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.




Lumding–Badarpur Railway Route

This route originates from Lumding, a town in the Hojai district, and ends at Badarpur Railway station in the Karimganj district of Assam, a Himalayan state in Northeastern India. The route crosses through the Barail mountains.

Runs between Lumding - Badarpur

Distance: 210 Km Approximately




Neral - Matheran Rail Route

Neral - Matheran route is the shortest mountain rail route in India. Known as the Matheran Hill Railway, it originates from the Neral railway junction, which is about 75 kilometers by road and 85 Kilometers by train from Mumbai. The elevation on this route changes from 40 meters to 800 meters.

Runs between Neral - Matheran

Distance: 21 Km

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

This route is known as Nilgiri Mountain Railway because of its location in the Nilgiri Mountains. This route starts from Mettupalayam, a place in the Coimbatore district, and ends in Udagamandalam (Ooty) which lies in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. The elevation of this route differs from 325 meters to 2,240 meters.

Runs between Mettupalayam - Udagamandalam (Ooty)

Distance: 46 Km

Listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.





Konkan Railway Route

The journey through this route provides a great view of the western ghats - The Sahyadris. This Indian railway route unites three states of India. This route is known as Konkan Railway Route, and it connects Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka.

The origin of this route is Roha, a place in the Raigad district of Maharashtra. After covering the three states, this route ends at Thokur, near Mangalore in Karnataka state.

Runs between Roha (Maharashtra) - Thokur (Karnataka)

Distance: 750 Km Approximately