Kalka-Shimla heritage tracks that survived a century fall to ‘poor drainage’

The tracks, which have been featured in many a films, including the iconic Hindi film song “Gaadi bulaa rahi hai, seeti baja rahi hai”, saw obstructions at more than 135 locations — 100 between Kalka and Solan, and 35 between Solan and Shimla.

While Railways authorities managed to clear 35 locations between Solan and Shimla, and even operated an engine between the two stations last week, they estimate restoring the entire stretch, constructed between 1898 and 1903, will take approximately one month.

The tracks, with 18 picturesque stations, pass through 102 tunnels with 988 bridges, and were given the UNESCO World Heritage Site status on July 8, 2008.

On Monday, Northern Railway extended cancellation of trains between Kalka and Shimla until August 6. Expressing distress over the situation, DRM, Ambala, Mandeep Singh Bhatia, said, “It is the first time that these tracks will be out of action for so long. Never in its history have they got damaged to this extent. We have conveyed our concerns to NHAI officials. The matter will also be taken up at the ministry level.”

To assess the scale of the damage and plan for restoration, Bhatia visited the tracks with Kalka-Shimla section railway engineers.

Anand Dhayia, project director of NHAI (Kalka-Shimla section), said: “We are aware of concerns related to water drainage points constructed by NHAI. We assured them (Railways officials) that we will consider their concerns. However, the damage was primarily caused by natural calamity. Our property — the highway — also suffered significant damage at approximately 55 locations…”

A visit to the affected portion of the tracks between Koti and Dharmapur revealed the daunting task ahead, with massive piles of mud, boulders, and broken trees obstructing the path. Even three JCB machines — each brought at a cost of Rs 1,000 per hour — could not clear the debris on the waterlogged tracks. The Railways eventually had to deploy labourers.

Sources said the maximum damage occurred between Kalka and Solan due primarily to lower elevation from the four-lane highway on this stretch. In contrast, the section between Solan and Shimla suffered less damage, as it is situated above the highway.

Besides, the hills between Kalka and Solan are more susceptible to landslides compared to those between Solan and Shimla, they said.

A Railways section engineer, who inspected the restoration work between Koti and Dharampur stations, said, “The tracks were constructed more than a century ago and became operational in 1903.

Over the last 122 years, it has endured heavy rain, cloudbursts, and survived due to its scientifically designed bridges. The engineers built these bridges after studying the natural waterfalls and landslide-prone areas, ensuring that water flows smoothly under them without harming the track.”

However, the engineer said, “problems arose” when giant pipes were opened to drain water from the national highway and the hills opposite, “without considering the impact on the tracks”.

“The recent heavy rainfall brought fallen trees, boulders, and debris, which either blocked the tracks or eroded the soil underneath,” the engineer said.

Sanjay Kaushal, 62, who walked along the whole stretch of 96.6 km to compile a coffee table book in 2015, said: “It is not just the damage that is disturbing us; it is the extent of the damage that is alarming. In August 2017, a cloudburst washed away the tracks along with a significant portion of Koti railway station. While the Kalka-Shimla stretch does face landslides and tree falls, especially during the monsoon, train services typically resume within 72 hours under normal conditions.”

“However,” he said, “the situation has changed since the operation of the four-lane highway.”

These tracks still accommodate six toy trains, with a railway car running between Shimla and Summerhill station. Additionally, a British-era steam engine stationed at Shimla railway station is also operational.

Before the tragedy struck, trial runs of four soundproof panoramic Vistadome coaches were under way. In December 2018, then Railways Minister Piyush Goyal introduced a new hop-on-hop-off service in the Kalka-Shimla section, which is exclusively used during the tourist season.