Kalka Shimla Railway

Passing through  a magnificent  mountainous view of the Shivalik Hills ,The Kalka–Shimla Railway is a 2 ft 6 in from Kalka at the base of the Hills to Shimla, which is the Capital of British Raj .

History

Shimla or SIMLA as it was then called is located at 7,116 feet  in the lower hills of the Himalayas.  Shimla was an important destination as it was summer capital of British India since 1864. In India the British Army’s headquarters were also located in Shimla. Before the Kalka- Shimla Railway was constructed the only means of transport to reach Shimla was by using the horse drawn cart.

The construction of the Kalka- Shimla Railway began in 1898 and was undertaken by the Delhi-Ambala-Kalka Railway Company. The estimated cost of the 96.54 Kms. line was Rs 86,78,500 but was doubled as the project developed. It was completed and accessible for traffic on November 9, 1903. The huge prime investment and subsistence cost compelled the Railway to charge much higher passenger fares than the prevalent fares on further lines. In spite of this, in order to be able to keep the line running, the regulation had to invest the Railway on 1906.

Heritage Site

The Kalka Shimla Railway was declared a inherited property by the Government of Himachal Pradesh. This was done because UNESCO was to assess the Railway in September as World inherit Site.On July 7, 2008, the Kalka–Shimla Railway was incorporated in the UNESCO World Inherit List as part of the World Inherited Site: Mountain Railways of India. It include Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kangra Valley Railway that already have been stated as World Inherit properties.

The route of Kalka–Shimla Railway has great scenic beauty along the entire course with engineering marvels that keep the traveler awe struck. The mountain route takes the train from Kalka which is only 656 meters above sea level to Shimla which is at an height of 2, 076 meters(6,811 ft) above sea level. The climb starts as soon as the train leaves Kalka and continues at it steadily climbs through spectacular vistas of forests and mountains.

Stations

Some important stations enroute are Dharampur, Solan, Kandaghat, Taradevi, Barog, Salogra, Summerhill and finally reaches Shimla.

Tunnels

There are 103 tunnels on the way with the overlong tunnel Bagot is at Barog, and is named after the engineer in charge of construction. This tunnel is 1143.61-metre-long, and passes through fissured sandstone.
Infrastructure

This line has 864 bridges and 919 curves.  The bridges are engineering feats with ingenious use of materials and natural contours. One of the bridges has a 18.29 meters plate girder span and steel support considered to be an engineering miracle for the time that it was constructed. Other bridges constructed in stone, like bridge no. 493 are viaducts and imitate the ancient Roman aqueducts with multi-arched galleries. Bridge No. 226 between Sonwara and Dharampur is another stone bridge worth mentioning as it  is with 5 tier galleries of multiple spans bridging  a deep valley.

The comfortable yet compelling climb of the railway is a inclined of 1 in 33 or 3%. The line firstly was laid with 42 lb/yd rail but later this was changed to 60 lb/yd rail.

Locomotives

Locomotives were acquired from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway but were not successful as they were not huge enough and hence had to be sold in 1908. Heavier engines weighing 21.5 tons each, manufactured by the British firm; Sharp, Stewart and Company with a 0-4-2T wheel organization of a larger design were introduced in 1902. Ten such engines were bought.

Between 1904 and 1910, thirty larger locomotives with a 2-6-2T wheel arrangement, manufactured by Hunslet and the North British Company were introduced. These were heavier locomotives weighing around 35 tons.

After more than a hundred years, the Kalka Shimla Railway is still functional and carries tourists and local people from Kalka to Shimla and back every day!