Holiday special train introduced on Kalka-Shimla route

CHANDIGARH: A summer holiday special train has been introduced on the Kalka-Shimla heritage route to cater the holiday rush this summer said railway spokesperson on Thursday. The train started operating from May 9 onwards.


Hari Mohan, senior divisional commercial manager, Northern Railway, Ambala said keeping in mind that the holiday season is approaching, the railways have introduced this train.

He said, “If required another holiday special train may be introduced at a later stage during summer vacations.”

He added that the train will have seven-coach rail with one coach of first class, three coaches of chair car, two general category and one SLR with fares ranging from Rs 470 for first class and Rs 260 for chair car. Whereas for general category the fare is of Rs 45.

A seven-coach holiday special train (52443) starts its journey from Kalka at 1:05 pm every day and arrives at Shimla at 6:30 pm. The train (52444) departs from Shimla at 9:40 am and reaches Kalka at 3:30 pm. Both the trains pass through ten stations during their journey apart from Kalka and Shimla. The train departing from Kalka will have 8 minute halt at Barog whereas train departing from Shimla will have 13 minute halt at Barog.

In all, five trains run to and fro on Kalka-Shimla rail line and introduction of this train will increase the number to six trains. Normally, a train takes five hours to complete the journey.

Recently, the Ambala division extended the suspension of rail motor car on Kalka- Shimla section till July 15. Special train with modified air-conditioned coaches however, continue to ply on the section to facilitate the tourists, said Hari Mohan.

The train number 52549/60 will replace the rail motor car on the heritage section with modified coaches has been extended finding 80% occupancy of the train as compared to that of the rail motor car.

Hari Mohan said the decision was taken due to popularity of the train among the tourists as after its introduction, the train almost attained 100% occupancy on the section.

The Kalka-Shimla rail track was laid during the British era in 1903 to ferry Europeans to and fro this hill town, the erstwhile summer capital of colonial India. The track was declared as UNESCO world heritage site in 2008.