UNESCO's World Heritage Committee inscribed DHR as a World Heritage Site on 5th December 1999 stating the following reasons: An outstanding example of the influence of an innovative transportation system "The DHR is the first, and still the most outstanding, example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1881, it applied bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of establishing an effective rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty. It is still fully operational and retains most of its original features intact.

One of the most amazing engineering feats of the world, even more amazing about the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is that it is fully operational even a century after it was built "It is the most enjoyable day I have spent on earth." - Mark Twain, after a trip on DHR in 1896

New Jalpaiguri-Darjeeling - The toy train on the Darjeeling Himalayan section is not merely a source of delight for the young and old, it also represents the engineering skills of the highest order. This 83 km. long section connecting Darjeeling with the railhead at Siliguri is of great importance and has been bestowed World Heritage Site status.