Ten trains operating on the UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla track will remain fully suspended until November 30 owing to major repair and restoration work being undertaken near Bridge No. 57 between the Taksal and Gumma railway stations.
Heavy rainfall had washed away the soil beneath the track near Bridge No. 57 between Taksal and Gumman stations on August 29, leaving a section hanging in the air. Repair work was delayed after subsequent spells of rain washed away newly laid construction material and crate walls at the site. With the rain having subsided now, restoration work has picked up pace and is likely to be completed in the next one month.
As per an order issued by the railway authorities, Up trains plying from Kalka to Shimla and numbered 52457, 52451, 52459, 52455, and the Up Mix train have been fully cancelled. Down trains plying from Shimla to Kalka and numbered 52458, 52452, 52460, 52456, and the Down Mix train have also been fully cancelled.
Train No. 52453 is operating partially as it skips the Kalka-to-Dharampur route and plies only from Dharampur to Shimla, while Train No. 52454 will terminate at Dharampur after starting from Kalka and will skip the onward journey from Dharampur to Kalka.
An official of the Northern Railway said that since work to restore the track was underway, the authorities have extended the train cancellation schedule as per orders issued on Wednesday evening.
Torrential rains lashing the area in the last few years have become a major threat to the heritage rail track as they disrupt railway traffic for weeks. Earlier, major damage was caused to the track at Summer Hill near Shimla during the monsoon in August 2023, halting the movement of trains for weeks.
