History of Shimla-Kalka Train

Posted Date: 27-Mar-2010	Category: Other Place to Visit	Rating:
Author: RajmiArun	Member Level: Bronze	Points: 20 (Rs 6)

One of the three World Heritage trains of India, Shimla-Kalka train is a wonderful gift left to us the Indians to enjoy the scenic beauty all along by the British (The then government of India).

Kalka-Shimla Train, one of the 3 heritage trains of India runs between Kalka and Shimla stopping in between at

Barog, Dhrampore, Taksai, Gamma and Solan.

History of Kalka-Shimla Railway
Dates back to 1847, the British in Delhi wanted a place to move to, to avoid the excessive summer heat and they found Shimla a better place and equivalent to their European temperature and a decision to lay rail track was planned in that year. But still the survey to lay up the line was not made until 1884. Another survey in 1885 made the British Government(the then government of India) finalize the line. The line length was decided to be a 68 mile and a rack system of railing was decided.

Construction of the Kalka-Shimla Railwa Line
In the year 1898, on June 29th, a contract was signed between the secretary of the state and Delhi-Ambala-Kalka railway company for constructing two feet guage line from Kalka to Shimla and the land was provided free of charge by the government but asked the company to construct the railway line without any government aid. But the military authorities recomended two feet/6 inches gauge for mountain railways and the government decided to go upon that suggestion and in the year 1901, on November 15th the contract with the construction company was revised.

The railway line of length 59.44 miles from Kalka to Shimla was opened on November 9th 1903. Initially the railway was owned by the DUK company which constructed it but later in the year 1906, the secretary of state purchased it for the government of India.

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