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Shimla Kalka Train
Shimla Kalka Train - The Heritage Train
The Shimla Kalka Railway line was started by the British rulers,
in 1903, to facilitate the connection between Delhi, capital of India
and Shimla, summer capital of India. Before construction of this route,
the only means of reaching Shimla was curtained carts, carried by
bearers/porters or ponies. But this was very tiring process, for the
bearers as well as for the visitor. Numerous halts at the small villages
had to be taken enroute, which posed problems for the villagers also.
The Hindustan-Tibet road was then constructed to replace human carriage
with horse carriage. But soon need for a railway line was felt and the
job of constructing the railway route was given to East India Railways
(EIR). In 1903, the Kalka Shimla railway came out. Since then, the rail
has travelled thousands of times to and fro connecting Kalka and Shimla.
A World Heritage Site The railway engines used today
are the steam engines, most of which have found place in museums. This
100 years old train has been declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The
Guinness Book of 'Rail Facts and Feats' records Kalka-Shimla Railways as
"The greatest narrow gauge engineering feat in India". The
extremities of weather do not dislodge the determination of the 700
horsepower B-B type diesel engines. They run in temperatures ranging
from zero to 45 C and in snow, which averages two feet during winter.
The annual rainfall reaches 200-250 centimeters on the hills.
The Journey The journey between Kalka and Shimla is
said to be a fairytale coming alive. Whole journey looks like a well
versed poem. An experience of lifetime, the journey promises heavenly
experiences. The 96 kms stretch is covered in 6 hours, as the train
passes slowly through 103 tunnels, 20 railway stations and more than 900
curves. A travel on the train can give a fair idea about this great
engineering marvel. The train starts at Kalka, 2100 Ft above sea level
and ends at Shimla, 5100 Ft above sea level. The uphill journey
continues through the mesmerising valleys, small towns and villages, all
on hilly terrains. The train moves at a speed of 20 to 25 Kmph, thus
leaving all scope for sight seeing.
The Haults Starting from Kalka, the train makes its
way to the first loop at Taksal. The mystic Himalaya range starts here.
The view of tall Himalayas is astonishing. For photography lovers, this
is a great opportunity to capture the charismatic Himalayas. The train
takes on two more loops, which feature at Gumman and Dharampur. After
Dharampur lies Barog. The longest tunnel at Barog comes with a
controversial history. It is said that the engineer behind the tunnel
committed suicide in the tunnel, as there was a flaw in construction of
tunnel. He took the blame on himself and killed himself here. From this
tunnel onwards, the train runs through scenic Solan and Salogra to
Kandaghat, which marks the beginning of the final climb. Chugging
through dense Oak forests, the train reaches Taradevi. The temple set on
the top of a peak here is truly a legendary temple. The train then winds
its way under Prospect Hill to Jutogh, finally arriving via Summer hill
at Shimla.
Timings There are Passenger, Luxury, Ordinary and
Mail train variants running on the track. The luxury train, Shivalik
Palace, depart at 5:30 am from Kalka and reach Shimla at 10:15 am. The
passengers and ordinary trains run more than 4 times between Kalka and
Shimla. The deluxe fair include breakfast or dinner as per the train
timings.
The Passenger train departs from Kalka at 0400 hours and from Shimla at
1430 hours. The Mail version of train departs from Kalka at 0600 hours
and from Shimla at 1805 hours. The Express train leaves Kalka at 1210
hours and Shimla at 1035 hours. Superfast version of the train leaves
Kalka at 0530 hours and Shimla at 1730 hours. Apart from these, several
holiday special trains also run during May to October and in December.
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