Kalka-Shimla railway track status

blrboy · 19th August 2007, 21:42

Any idea what is the state of Kalka-Shimla railway track in the recent rains.I will be travelling from New Delhi with my wife and Kid on September 1 and reach Shimla via Kalka on Sep 2.My travel agent jst called me to tell me that the kalka-shimla railway track is completely destroyed and will take some 3 months to repair.

Is that true?He also suggested me to take a cab from Delhi to Shimla.I had booked in cab from the same agent for my other trips from Delhi(Agra,Jaipur etc and shimla-Manali-chandigarh).
Can anybody confirm this?

I am a bit diappointed because I am going to Shimla only to experience a travel in the toy train from Kalka.

He is also saying that the railway station is in the outskirts of Kalka.And it will be difficult to get a cab etc.I am travelling with my wife and 1.5 yr old baby.So I don't want to face any trouble searching/bargaining for a cab in Kakla.

Thanks for your reply guys

breezydrive · 19th August 2007, 22:38

Yeah,that is true.
Rail - track along with one station is completely gone between SOLAN & SHIMLA.
Better check with railways as the train might go till SOLAN.
Also you can get SHATABDI express till KALKA.
From KALKA/SOLAN get a cab for the further trip.You will end up with lesser fatigue.
DELHI - SHIMLA = 360km
KALKA - SHIMLA = 78 km

phamilyman · 20th August 2007, 10:03

It is completely washed out near solan (some 300m).

Even otherwise, a friend of mine had gone to shimla. The baleno that took 2 hours going(chd-shimla), took EIGHT hours while returning, courtesy the landslides. She counted 70 of them before giving up, including some pretty bad ones

Things would be better now, but just be prepared for a longer bumpier journey

BunnyPunia · 23rd August 2007, 10:16

Services have resumed : see Himachal Pradesh

vasudeva · 23rd August 2007, 10:56

Although services have resumed, it is better not to take the toy train mentioned. I have been to Shimla many times, and the toy train goes at a very slow pace, and could take 8-10 hours. Of course you can see the scenery, but the scenery is OK from a cab also, which takes 4 hrs from Chandigarh, and 3 hrs from Kalka. Better take Shatabdi at around 730 AM from Delhi, reach Kalka at around 1130AM, take a cab to Shimla. Alternately, take Shtabadi to Chandigarh, and a cab/bus onwards.

I went to Shimla in June in a hired Innova. But I think the Govt. of HP has now changed the rules. Because most people hire commercial cabs from their home town to Shimla, they do local sightseeing in their home town cabs/private cars. This hurts the local/HP cab operators. So I think the Govt. has now decided that no commercial cabs will be allowed to do local sightseeing in Shimla. I thnik it means that you can drive your cab to the Shimla hotel, and from there your commercial cab cannot show you around Shjimla. Shimla involves a lot of walking, since the mall is totally vehicle free.

I am really sorry that you are going to Shimla just for the toy train. But that is luck. It is perhaps risky. Better check from Bangalore before planning for a toy train. Also while bus is easy from Kalka, I would recommend a cab from Chandigarh, which is only 30-40 kms from kalka.

dadu · 23rd August 2007, 11:54

Kalka-Shimla is around 93 Kms track out of which 60Kms is fully functional now between Dharampur and Shimla and the train is doing 2 trips every day up/down.

kapilsharma80 · 23rd August 2007, 12:04

The services have been resumed and as mentioned earlier by Vasudeva, the train does take a lot of time to complete the journey. Me being from Shimla would stromgly recoomend you to not to travel by train in the rainy season.
You can take the Shatabdi from Delhi till Chandigarh. From Chandigarh you can hire a cab. It will cost you not more than Rs 1600 for innova or indica (one side drop).

Another option is a volvo from delhi but you need to book it in advance since its the peak season.

mayankk · 20th February 2023, 11:49

Reinitiating this thread.
Anybody has any current update on the status of the Kalka Shimla route?
Also, how easy/difficult is it to get to the station in Kalka, from the regular train station?
Cabs are easy to arrange at the Shimla end to get to a hotel on mall road?

Altrozed · 20th February 2023, 21:01

Both NG and BG are almost in same compound.
Kalka Shimla all trains are running normally.

Turbanator · 20th February 2023, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by mayankk

Anybody has any current update on the status of the Kalka Shimla route

It remains operational but the journey is long and after a while, it might get boring. There is a Rail-Motor (4 Hours) but it leaves very early. There are other trains (5-1/2 Hours) that are connected with incoming Shatabadi/ Kalka- Howrah. I see Six trains from Kalka.

Quote:

Also, how easy/difficult is it to get to the station in Kalka, from the regular train station?

Same station, just a different part. Have a look here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNz88h4uwPc

Quote:

Cabs are easy to arrange at the Shimla end to get to a hotel on mall road?

If I recollect, the station is almost on the mall road. You simply walk or take a porter if you have luggage.

19th August 2007, 21:42	#1
blrboy BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 114 Thanked: 13 Times	Kalka-Shimla railway track status Any idea what is the state of Kalka-Shimla railway track in the recent rains.I will be travelling from New Delhi with my wife and Kid on September 1 and reach Shimla via Kalka on Sep 2.My travel agent jst called me to tell me that the kalka-shimla railway track is completely destroyed and will take some 3 months to repair. Is that true?He also suggested me to take a cab from Delhi to Shimla.I had booked in cab from the same agent for my other trips from Delhi(Agra,Jaipur etc and shimla-Manali-chandigarh). Can anybody confirm this? I am a bit diappointed because I am going to Shimla only to experience a travel in the toy train from Kalka. He is also saying that the railway station is in the outskirts of Kalka.And it will be difficult to get a cab etc.I am travelling with my wife and 1.5 yr old baby.So I don't want to face any trouble searching/bargaining for a cab in Kakla. Thanks for your reply guys
	() Thanks

19th August 2007, 22:38	#2
breezydrive BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: NOIDA Posts: 752 Thanked: 131 Times View My Garage	Yeah,that is true. Rail - track along with one station is completely gone between SOLAN & SHIMLA. Better check with railways as the train might go till SOLAN. Also you can get SHATABDI express till KALKA. From KALKA/SOLAN get a cab for the further trip.You will end up with lesser fatigue. DELHI - SHIMLA = 360km KALKA - SHIMLA = 78 km
	() Thanks

20th August 2007, 10:03	#3
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,975 Thanked: 4,675 Times	It is completely washed out near solan (some 300m). Even otherwise, a friend of mine had gone to shimla. The baleno that took 2 hours going(chd-shimla), took EIGHT hours while returning, courtesy the landslides. She counted 70 of them before giving up, including some pretty bad ones Things would be better now, but just be prepared for a longer bumpier journey
	() Thanks

23rd August 2007, 10:16	#4
BunnyPunia BANNED Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 904 Thanked: 1,511 Times View My Garage	Services have resumed : see Himachal Pradesh
	() Thanks

23rd August 2007, 10:56	#5
vasudeva Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,221 Thanked: 212 Times	Although services have resumed, it is better not to take the toy train mentioned. I have been to Shimla many times, and the toy train goes at a very slow pace, and could take 8-10 hours. Of course you can see the scenery, but the scenery is OK from a cab also, which takes 4 hrs from Chandigarh, and 3 hrs from Kalka. Better take Shatabdi at around 730 AM from Delhi, reach Kalka at around 1130AM, take a cab to Shimla. Alternately, take Shtabadi to Chandigarh, and a cab/bus onwards. I went to Shimla in June in a hired Innova. But I think the Govt. of HP has now changed the rules. Because most people hire commercial cabs from their home town to Shimla, they do local sightseeing in their home town cabs/private cars. This hurts the local/HP cab operators. So I think the Govt. has now decided that no commercial cabs will be allowed to do local sightseeing in Shimla. I thnik it means that you can drive your cab to the Shimla hotel, and from there your commercial cab cannot show you around Shjimla. Shimla involves a lot of walking, since the mall is totally vehicle free. I am really sorry that you are going to Shimla just for the toy train. But that is luck. It is perhaps risky. Better check from Bangalore before planning for a toy train. Also while bus is easy from Kalka, I would recommend a cab from Chandigarh, which is only 30-40 kms from kalka.
	() Thanks

23rd August 2007, 11:54	#6
dadu Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,800 Thanked: 463 Times View My Garage	Kalka-Shimla is around 93 Kms track out of which 60Kms is fully functional now between Dharampur and Shimla and the train is doing 2 trips every day up/down.
	() Thanks

23rd August 2007, 12:04	#7
kapilsharma80 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 257 Thanked: 109 Times	The services have been resumed and as mentioned earlier by Vasudeva, the train does take a lot of time to complete the journey. Me being from Shimla would stromgly recoomend you to not to travel by train in the rainy season. You can take the Shatabdi from Delhi till Chandigarh. From Chandigarh you can hire a cab. It will cost you not more than Rs 1600 for innova or indica (one side drop). Another option is a volvo from delhi but you need to book it in advance since its the peak season.
	() Thanks

20th February 2023, 11:49	#8
mayankk Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 5,235 Thanked: 8,618 Times View My Garage	re: Kalka-Shimla railway track status Reinitiating this thread. Anybody has any current update on the status of the Kalka Shimla route? Also, how easy/difficult is it to get to the station in Kalka, from the regular train station? Cabs are easy to arrange at the Shimla end to get to a hotel on mall road? Last edited by Turbanator : 20th February 2023 at 21:54. Reason: Minor typo.
	() Thanks

20th February 2023, 21:01	#9
Altrozed BHPian Join Date: Jan 2023 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 220 Thanked: 743 Times	Re: Kalka-Shimla railway track status Both NG and BG are almost in same compound. Kalka Shimla all trains are running normally.
	(1) Thanks