Train service on Kalka-Shimla railway line suspended after cracks develop | News from India

SHIMLA: All train services on the historic Kalka-Shimla route were suspended on Saturday after cracks developed on a railway bridge on Friday night.

Of the total seven trains, two trains will arrive and return from Tara Devi station today and one is expected to return from Kandagjat. However, all trains will remain suspended till Shimla.

No station official was available to comment on this matter.

Tourists are disappointed because they have to re-plan their travel programs.

“I had a train at 3.40 pm. All trains have been stopped due to some problem. I came four days ago and came here with a toy train. I cannot understand what happened. I came here with my family, now it is becoming difficult how we will return. They say there have been some problems on the route,” said Mohmmad Sultan, a tourist from Kanpur.

A local expressed his disappointment over the cancellation of his ticket.

“We wanted to visit Shimla. Our ticket was cancelled and we came to know that some bridges were broken. It was a disappointment for us. My son wanted to ride the toy train. They are not sure whether the train will run tomorrow or not. Now we have to plan another route,” said Masaid.

On August 14, 2023, the railway bridge at Summer Hill collapsed and the track between Summer Hill and Solan was damaged at several places. Trains were suspended from the first week of July to October last year.

Virender Thakur, councillor of Shimla Municipal Corporation, said they would request DRM Northern Railway to restore these services.

“The temporary railway bridge was constructed last year and was made operational within three months. I came to know that the tracks at the corner of the bridge started slipping. Last night, technical staff visited the site and train services were suspended until further notice,” Thakur said.

“We demand that this railway line be restored. Every day, 8-9 trains run on this historic route. These trains are full of tourists. We will request the DRM Northern Railway to restore it. We hope this happens soon. Until they give us the green light, the trains cannot run,” Thakur added.

The first train arrived in Shimla on 9 November 1903; until 1970 all trains arrived here with steam locomotives and after 1970 all trains were operated with diesel locomotives.

The Kalka-Shimla railway line was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Since tourists have been racing through the mountains on this train, it has become a major tourist attraction.

The first Vista Dome car was attached to one of the regular trains in December 2018 and began regular service in December 2019. The trains remained attached to this historic route between July and October last year.