Northern Railway has discontinued the Himalayan Queen toy train on the Kalka-Shimla route for two months for maintenance work and introduced a special train to Shimla. The special train departs from Kalka at 11.55am, leaving travellers on the Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Kalka that arrives at 11.40am with hardly any time to catch it.
Tour and travel agencies have also requested the rail authorities to retain the old departure time of 12.10pm. Tourists from other states normally arrive by the Shatabdi Express and continue their journey to Shimla on the toy train.
Adding to the chaos, online ticket booking sites show train cancellations until October 24.
Commuters and travel agencies have expressed their worries as they seamless connection between the Shatabdi and Himalayan Queen has been disrupted. Many passengers arriving at Chandigarh Airport used to opt for the Himalayan Queen, an option that is no longer viable.
The special train, however, has brought along a price-cut, charging a mere ₹50 for the Kalka-Shimla travel. The fare for the Himalayan Queen from Kalka to Shimla was ₹475 for first class and ₹275 for chair car.
The special train makes only two stops at Dharampur and Barog railway stations. In contrast, the Himalayan Queen train had stops at every station along the route.
{{/usCountry}}The special train makes only two stops at Dharampur and Barog railway stations. In contrast, the Himalayan Queen train had stops at every station along the route.
{{/usCountry}}In an attempt to save time, the Himalayan Queen had undergone changes in its operations, including a revised schedule introduced on October .
Rail motor cars have not been operating on the route since July 9. Although the heritage track was repaired on October 2, the rail motor car service was not resumed. The rail motor car offers a stunning mountain view and was introduced during the British colonial era for mountain enthusiasts. It has since been upgraded to a vista dome rail motor car, featuring large windows and a glass roof.
Senior divisional commercial manager, Ambala, Naveen Kumar, reported reduced passenger numbers on the track.