Kalka-Shimla heritage rail motor car to run as train service, says railways ministry
The ministry said it will run 04505/04506 Kalka-Shimla-Kalka trains as rail motor car special express trains
The ministry of railways on Sunday announced that the Kalka-Shimla Heritage rail motor car will start operations as a regular train service from March 18. Inviting passengers to experience the bliss of travelling in the UNESCO-declared World Heritage railway line, the ministry said it will run 04505/04506 Kalka-Shimla-Kalka trains as rail motor car special express trains.
"Experience the bliss of travelling on Kalka Shimla Heritage route in Rail Motor Car. Indian Railway announces operation of Rail Motor Car as regular Train service. It will run 04505/04506Kalka-Shimla-Kalka trains as RAIL MOTOR CAR Special Exp. Trains from 18.03.21," the ministry had tweeted on Sunday.
The 14-seat single carriage train travels at a speed of 40km per hour and takes about 4.2 hours to reach the final destination. The train will only stop at the Barog railway station in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. The rail motor car is reported to start from Kalka at 5.25am and reach Shimla at 9.05am. From Shimla, the service will begin at 11.40am that will reach Barog at 2.10pm and reach Kalka at 4.30pm.
The 96.6-kilometre-long single-track working rail link built in the 19th century was added to the mountain railways of India World Heritage Site by UNESCO on July 8, 2008.
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The 2-ft and 6-inch (762 mm) narrow gauge line traversing through the northern hills of India is known for the breathtaking views of the surroundings with the steepest rise in altitude through more than 800 crossover bridges and over 100 tunnels.
The first-class railbus with a glass roof and a front view begins its journey from Kalka, the foothills, at an altitude of 655 meters (2,150 ft) and travels as high as 2,076 meters (6,811 ft) to Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
The Himachal Pradesh government in 2007 had declared the railway a Heritage property. The rail car travels via 900 curves as 70 per cent of the route is curves.