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HIMACHAL PRADESH HILL
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RAILWAY
Kalka
- Shimla Railway |
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Kalka
Shimla Railway Tour
Route:
Kalka - Barog - Dharampore
- Taksai - Gamma - Solan
- Shimla
 The
Kalka-Shimla Railway built
to connect, the summer
capital of India in 1903
at an altitude of 2076
meters offers a panoramic
feast to experience the
grandeur of the picturesque
Himalayas from the shivalik
foot hills at Kalka to
several important points
such as Dharampur, Solan,
Kandaghat, Taradevi, Barog,
Salogra, Summerhill, Shimla
and beyond up to the silvery
snow line near the towering
peaks.
This
train is one of the hill
trains in India. The Kalka/
Shimla trains, running
on these tracks, are popularly
called 'Toy Trains'. Meandering
on these trains is an
exhilarating experience
as one passes through
the breathtaking landscapes
of majestic Himalayas,
tunnels/ bridges and lush
green valleys embellished
with pine, oak trees,
leaving a long lasting
memory of rhapsody and
triumph.
An interesting
feature of the Kalka-Shimla
Railway is the almost
complete absence of Girder
bridges. Multi arched
galleries like ancient
roman aqueducts being
the commonest means of
carrying the line over
the ravines between the
hill spurs.
On leaving
Kalka, 2,100 feet high
above mean sea level,
the rail line enters the
foothills, commencing
its picturesque climb
immediately on its departure
from Kalka station. The
first great difficulty
met with was the huge
landslide on the seventh
mile of the cart road,
which extends from the
hill summit down to Khushallia
River 1,500 feet below.
A tunnel,
nearly half mile long,
was constructed in the
solid wall behind the
disturbed surface strata
and is known as “Koti
Tunnel”. The main station
Dharampur, is at a height
of 4,900 feet and is 20
miles from Kalka.
History
 This
Kalka Shimla train was
inaugurated by the British
viceroy, Lord Curzon in
November 1903, almost
covering the distance
of 96 km from Kalka through
the curving tracks, up
to Shimla hills- the summer
capital of colonial India.
The toy train passes through
103 tunnels, 969 bridges,
919 curves and 20 railway
stations in its entire
journey.
Write
to Us for a joy ride in
Kalka Shimla Railway»»
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