Himachal rain fury: Heritage Shimla-Kalka railway line damaged; portion of track left hanging after landslip

Shimla, August 14

The Unesco world heritage Shimla-Kalka railway line was damaged near Summer Hill here after a landslide swept away a 50-metre bridge, leaving a portion of the track hanging in the air, officials said on Monday.

The concrete bridge near Summer Hill, 6 km from Shimla, got completely destroyed and the heritage track has suffered damages at five or six places and the most affected stretch is between Shimla and Shoghi, station master Joginder Singh said.

It will take at least two weeks to repair the track depending on the intensity of rains, Singh said.

Earlier, all the trains were suspended on the Shimla-Kalka railway track on July 10 as incessant heavy rains had obstructed the track at several places due to landslides and felling of trees.

However, a special train was introduced on the Shimla-Solan stretch of the railway track on July 20  after the route was declared fit by the railway authorities.

The stretch from Solan to Kalka was yet to be reopened as the track between Dharampur and Parwanoo that suffered a massive damage recently was still being repaired.

The 96-km long Shimla-Kalka Railway track was laid four decades ago in tough hilly terrain with 103 tunnels, 800 bridges, 919 curves along with negotiable gradient.

The track, which now has 102 tunnels after the collapse of its 46th tunnel, gains an altitude of about 1,590 metres and is considered an engineering marvel.

At least 49 people were killed in Himachal Pradesh, 14 of them in two Shimla landslips including one at a temple as rains wreaked havoc in the state, triggering landslides that blocked key roads and brought down houses, officials said on Monday.

More people are feared trapped under the debris of the Shiv temple in Shimla’s Summer Hill area. The shrine was crowded with devotees, offering prayers on an important day of the holy month of Sawan.