Indian Railways has re-opened the much-awaited Kalka-Shimla rail route. The move comes at a time when the festive season is approaching and the tourists are eagerly planning to visit the hill station. This heritage rail line falls under the administrative jurisdiction of Northern Railway’s Ambala Division.
Trial run
On October 2nd, the national transporter conducted a trial run of the first train upto Shimla at 01:00 hrs. Speaking to Financialexpress.com, Deepak Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Northern Railway said, “On 3rd October four pairs of services between KLK-SML were planned.” Last month, the railways introduced two special trains on the Kalka-Koti stretch of the narrow gauge railway line.
Why is rail traffic suspended on Kalka-Shimla rail route?
The rail traffic on the heritage rail line has been suspended following the severe damages in July. The railway track near Shimla’s Summerhill suffered severe damage after a 50-metre-long bridge was washed away in a landslide on August 24, leaving a portion of the track hanging.
How many trains are being operated between Kalka-Shimla-Kalka?
The zonal railway is operating six pairs of trains between Kalka and Shimla and vice versa. The travellers can book their ticket to Shimla through the official portal of IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation) and also from the PRS counters at railway stations.
Timings of trains between Kalka and Shimla
- Train number 72451 Rail Motor – 05:25 hrs
- Train number 52451 Shivalik Deluxe Express – 05:45 hrs
- Train number 52455 Himalayan Queen – 12:10 hrs
- Train number 52457 Kalka-Shimla Express – 03:30 hrs
- Train number 52453 Kalka-Shimla Express – 06:20 hrs
- Train number 52459 Kalka-Shimla Express – 07:00 hrs
Train timings between Shimla and Kalka:-
- Train number 52452 Shivalik Deluxe Express – 17:40 hrs
- Train number 72452 Rail Motor – 12:00 hrs
- Train number 52460 Shimla-Kalka Express – 15:50 hrs
- Train number 52454 Shimla-Kalka Express – 18:15 hrs
- Train number 52456 Himalayan Queen – 10:55 hrs
- Train number 52458 Shimla-Kalka Express – 14:15 hrs
About Kalka-Shimla rail route:-
The Kalka-Shimla rail route was awarded a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on July 07, 2008. The rail route was built during British rule, to connect Shimla, the summer capital with the Indian rail system.A total of 18 railway stations are there on the historic Kalka-Shimla rail route. These are – Kalka, Taksal, Gumman, Koti, Sonwara, Dharmpur HMCHL, Kumarhatti, Barog, Solan, Salogra, Kandaghat, Kanoh, Kathleeghat, Shoghi, Taradevi, Jutogh, Summer Hill and Shimla railway stations.