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Which railroad climbs the Himalayan foothills? Since 1881, a narrow-gauge railroad has run from Siliguri on the Indian plains up to Darjeeling in the Himalayan foothills near the border with Nepal. The Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway is 51 miles (82 km) long and climbs more than 1,800 metres. Locomotives pull loads of 49 tons up the steep slopes. A man at the front of the train throws sand on to the rails when they are wet to improve the wheel's grip.   Previous: Back Book: 1001 Section: Human World Chapter: Asia