Kandaghat rly station gutted

All equipment,which had heritage value and were installed by Britishers when the railway line was laid,was totally burnt.

The offices,ticket booking counters,entire stationery and office belongings were all lost in the fire. There were no tickets left for bookings on Tuesday.

One of the main causes attributed to the instant loss of property is the wood and steel material used in building the station more than a century back.

The complex also included the residence of Station Manager Raj Kumar,which was completely gutted. Kumar was,however,rescued in time.

Fire tenders were rushed from Kandaghat and Solan to control the blaze. It took them more than an hour to douse the flames,which had already consumed the heritage railway station by that time.

There is no report of any human loss. Superintendent of Police Rajesh Dharmani has visited the spot for preliminary investigation, said Pradeep Kumar,Inspector General of Police (Railway and Tourists police).

Movement of trains has become normal but communication links and reservation is still affected. We are using mobile phones and manual bookings, said an official.

The Shimla-Kalka line was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 because of its unique location,hill terrain and height,besides the high level maintenance and safety required.

Kandaghat,located at a distance of 32 km from Shimla,is one of the important stations on this section as the road to the famous tourist resort of Chail,the summer retreat of the Maharaja of Patiala,bifurcates from there.

The 96-km journey begins at Kalka and the track rises from 640 metre in Kalka to 2,060 metres in Shimla.