Hill slip leaves Shimla-Kalka rail track hanging in air, 10 trains cancelled

Ten trains on the Shimla-Kalka narrow-gauge railway line — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — were cancelled after soil supporting a stretch of railway track in Solan district was washed out, officials said on Sunday, 30 August.

The slippage, caused by incessant rain, undermined a section of the track between Koti and Gumman stations, leaving the structure exposed. The toy train, as it is popularly known, was suspended after the incident on Saturday night.

Ten trains between Kalka and Shimla were cancelled on Sunday, Shimla railway station superintendent Sanjay Gevar said. Their resumption will be considered only after the track is secured.

According to a notification issued by the railways, soil was washed away from around the track near Bridge No. 57 between Koti and Gumman. More than 400 travellers and train workers were evacuated after the hill slip.

'Following a hill slip yesterday at Bridge No. 57 between the Koti and Ghumman stations on the Shimla-Kalka UNESCO World Heritage section, Northern Railway officials executed a prompt and seamless rescue operation, ensuring zero inconvenience to travellers,' a Railways press note said.

Usually bustling with tourists and travellers on weekends, Shimla station was relatively quiet on Sunday.

Train operations on the Kalka-Shimla heritage rail line have been disrupted multiple times this monsoon due to rain and landslides.

The 96-km Shimla-Kalka line, built over fascinating yet treacherous terrain, is an engineering marvel and a prime tourist attraction. The line comprises 102 tunnels, 800 bridges and 919 bends.

Sixty-four roads were closed to traffic across Himachal Pradesh as of Sunday evening, as rains continued to lash parts of the state. A maximum of 24 roads were closed in Mandi, 16 in Kullu, seven each in Kangra and Sirmaur, four in Una, three in Shimla, two in Solan and one in Lahaul and Spiti district, according to the state emergency operations centre.

The Shimla meteorological centre has issued an alert for heavy rainfall at isolated places till 3 September.

Since Saturday evening, Dhaulakuan received 71.5 mm of rain, followed by Nahan with 36.8 mm, Shimla and Ghaghas with 30 mm each, Palampur with 23.8 mm, Murari Devi with 22 mm, Kahu with 11.6 mm and Pandoh with 10 mm. Thunderstorms and lightning were witnessed in some parts, the weather office said. Between 1 and 30 August, the state received 205.5 mm of rainfall against a normal of 251.7 mm, an 18 per cent deficit.

Since the onset of the monsoon on 30 June, about 104 people have died statewide in rain-related incidents, while the state has suffered losses of Rs 1,184 crore, officials said.

With PTI inputs