If the title of Street Food Siliguri Junction Railway Station might seem a little random, well that is because it is. This is because there is pretty much no reason why anyone, or rather any foreign person should end up here. End up here though I did.
You see the issue came because after my trip to Sikkim I had booked a train from Siliguri to New Delhi. But, as it turns out there are two main train stations in Siliguri (in fact there are more), there is Siliguri Junction Railway Station and there is New Jalpaiguri Junction Railway Station
I needed the later and instead booked a hotel near the former. This would prove not just a mistake, but quite the culture shock, even for the good old Street Food Guy.
What the Siliguri Junction Railway Station?
Siliguri Junction Railway Station is the original big hub of the region, sitting in West Bengal just before things head up into the Himalayas. Built just after the Partition in the late 1940s, this station became the main point for people and goods headed to North Bengal, Sikkim (by bus), and entire stretches of northeast India. Every day, about 20,000 people (at least) pass through here. Monks, army guys, touts, tea sellers, students, and every manner of traveller you could imagine.
The legendary Darjeeling Himalayan Railway comes through here as well, so you’ll see toy trains rolling in sometimes, belching more steam than a 1980s nightclub. Trains go to Kolkata, Assam, the hilly north, and, yes, to the shiny New Jalpaiguri Junction, which of course I only discovered after I checked in near the wrong one. And yes, you can even get a train to NJP from here, which I found out far too late.
The Siliguri Junction Railway Station Vibe
Coming from the absolute calm and cleanliness of Bhutan and Sikkim, as well as the relative calm of Darjeeling, Siliguri in general and Siliguri Junction Railway Station hits you like a tonne of bricks. This is proper, proper India, with traffic, beggars, people with limbs missing, cows on the road and the smell, yes a smell so intense that you can taste it. And while this might sound like I am lashing at India, I am really not, but it is what it is.
This whole intensity is intensified by the fact that Sikkim and Darjeeling are just so very different. If you are experienced, Siliguri probably only scores an 8/10 intensity on the India craziness scale, but if this was your first time you may well get destroyed by culture shock.
Once through, I had got to my hotel (which I will get to later) and dropped my things off. Siliguri Junction became a much more manageable place to explore.
What is there to do around Siliguri Junction Railway Station?
OK, so Siliguri Junction Railway Station area is very much described by one and all as “not for tourists”. In fact unless you like urban squalor, trains, and street food this is not the place to go. Well I like all that shit, so there you go.
Hill Cart Road which links to the station and goes out into the wider world is a fucking weird place offering many back alleys and what are essentially slums. Apparently this area also doubles up as the Red Light District of Siliguri, although during my daytime walk I saw nothing of the sort, nor got approached. Am I not pretty?
There was though an awful lot of life, even more capitalism and a bridge with a river that while locals were swimming in it, I probably would not. And there was street food.
Street Food Siliguri Junction Railway Station
Despite having just been to Dhaka it has been years since I have visited “proper India”, so despite the fact that there was street food everywhere, I was initially at least a little spooked. This is because aside from the numerous street eat venues the train and bus stations made this place crazy busy with vehicles, humans and the ever present feel of imminent danger.
This though only lasted so long and eventually I manned up and headed out. Although not actually alone as I waited for my Sikkimese business partner, but hey I still went out. So, what were the street food options?
Street Food Siliguri Junction Dishes
OK, so there is so much street food Siliguri action here that I obviously did not get a chance to try it all. Personally I had northern Indian style (Chinese) Chow Mein, which was baller with chili sauce and some Masala Coke. I also went for my last crack at local potato delicacy Aloo Dum, which is popular throughout the region. Think spicy boiled potatoes with extra chili and you will just about be there.
As the night bears on you will also see slightly more upmarket (to a degree) restaurants and bars open, which technically at least offer a more fine dining affair. Sadly I didn’t note the name of the resto cum bar (it’s a word) we were taken to, but the lion’s share of the meal was butter naan bread and extra spicy chicken tikka. There are also bars such as from my very own Hotel Suktara that have bad music and overpriced drinks. I am sure this might be where the ladies of the night hang out.
Should you stay at Siliguri Junction Railway Station?
Essentially unless you have a really really good reason to stay here and there are few, you do not need to stay here. If though you do decide to get a hotel here be aware of the Indian fake hotel scam. This is where cheap shit hotels make themselves look better and charge a premium.
I ended up paying $55 to stay in a place I would have been angry to drop $15 at. So, unless you like no locks, really bad service and an awful lot of noise avoid The Suktara International Hotel. And if you enjoy these things, still avoid the Suktara International Hotel.
Overall though I think I will look back at this and see that staying near Siliguri Junction Railway Station was character building. Not quite yet though, for now, it has all been somewhat too soon…