In a heart-wrenching blow to the historical tapestry of India’s rail heritage, a massive landslide struck Shimla causing severe damage to a railway track early this week. An arch railway bridge between Summer Hill and Jutogh stations on the Kalka-Shimla heritage line, which has stood for over 120 years, was washed away after heavy rainfall hit the area.
A massive landslide, which occurred near the idyllic Summerhill region of Himachal Pradesh’s capital city, swept away a 50-metre bridge leaving a portion of the track hanging in the air.
According to station master Joginder Singh, the heritage track has suffered damage at five to six places with the most affected stretch being between Shimla and Shoghi. Railways operations on the Unesco world heritage Shimla-Kalka railway line have remained suspended for over a month due to heavy rainfall.
Vishal Singh, Section Engineer of Communication at the Kalka Shimla Railways from Solan, in a conversation with news agency ANI, said that the magnitude of the damage indicates that the restoration process for the railway track will be an extensive undertaking, requiring significant time and resources.
About Shimla-Kalka Railway track
The Shimla-Kalka Railway, stretching across a distance of 96 kilometers, was constructed forty years ago through challenging mountainous landscapes. This remarkable railway route comprises an impressive network of 103 tunnels, 800 bridges, and 919 curves, all while maintaining a manageable gradient.
Originally consisting of 103 tunnels, the track presently encompasses 102 tunnels due to the unfortunate collapse of the 46th tunnel.
Rain mayhem in Himachal Pradesh
As many as 857 roads were blocked for vehicular traffic while 4,285 transformers and 889 water supply schemes were disrupted in 11 out of 12 districts in the state.
According to the state emergency operation centre, the state has suffered losses to the tune of Rs 7,171 crore since the onset of monsoon on June 24.
A total of 170 incidents of cloudburst and landslide have been reported in the state this monsoon season and about 9,600 houses damaged.
(With PTI inputs)