Train engine derails on Kalka-Shimla track

The engine of a toy train headed to Shimla from Kalka was derailed on the world heritage railway track on Thursday morning,disrupting the traffic for nearly seven hours. No one was injured in the accident that took place near Koti in Solan district,said a railway official at Shimla.

“With boulders lying on the track after a landslide,the engine of 251UP Mail hit them and derailed. The incident took place around 8 am,nearly two hours after the train had left the Kalka railway station. Nearly 250 passengers in seven coaches were on board and all escaped unhurt. They later travelled by road to Shimla,” said Shimla Railway Superintendent G S Rajput.

As the train was running at a slow speed,a major accident was averted,he added. Traffic was restored on the line by late afternoon. The 96-km narrow gauge line was given the status of a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2008.