Trial run of see-through vistadome train coach held on heritage Shimla-Kalka section

Shimla, November 30

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Trial run of the new advanced vistadome train coach was held on the Shimla-Kalka railway track on Wednesday to increase the speed from 25 to 30-35 km per hour, officials said.

The see-through vistadome coach with transparent roof and doors offers a 360-degree scenic view of the surroundings. They are fully air-conditioned and have wooden interiors.

The trial run started around 8 am from Kalka.

Some of the new features include air pressure brakes instead of vacuum brakes, station master Joginder Singh said, adding that the coaches could be formally introduced on the track in the next two to three months.

The train took five-and-a-half hours to cover the distance between Kalka and Shimla but efforts are being made to increase the speed so that the time could be reduced by 30 minutes or more, Singh said.

The British laid the first rail link to connect Shimla in 1903. In 2009, the Kalka-Shimla rail track was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

There are 103 tunnels on the rail line, besides 800 bridges, 919 curves and 18 railway stations.

Shimla-Kalka became the first narrow gauge track in the country to run vistadome coaches on December 11, 2018.