Steam engine chugs on 900-metre heritage track in Shimla
SHIMLA: With the aim of promoting tourism, Northern Railways started a steam engine train on the 900m long heritage track between Shimla railway station and Baba Bhalku Railway Heritage Museum on Sunday. The heritage track has been lying unused since 1999 and now the service has been restored.
A special team of Indian Railways headed by railway board member (rolling stock) Rajesh Agarwal monitored the museum area and took a ride on the heritage track in the new coaches pulled by the steam engine.
Agarwal said “This train has been started with an objective to promote heritage tourism and draw more tourists on the track.”
Earlier trials were conducted this year in July after nearly 20 years. No train has been running on this track since 1999. In 1997 four trains were started from Shimla Extension.
However, one of the bridges on the rail track was declared unsafe in 1999 and the track was closed. Now the bridge gas been renovated so the railway service has been restored on this track.
Agarwal said this service would give a new dimension to tourism in the state. He added that the joy ride train would provide a combination of beautiful panoramic view of hills, beauty of town, and heritage of railways, including the Baba Bhalku Museum.
The Shimla Extension is nearly 900m from station and now there is a museum in memory of Bhalku, the then local villager who helped the British engineers in tracing the railway line from Kalka to Shimla. This museum was made open to the public in 2011. Now railway has started a joy ride train from Shimla station to Museum with a speed of 10 kilometers per hour.
“The KC520 steam engine was started on the opening day and travelling on this heritage track while experiencing the panoramic view of heritage narrow gauze line of 2 feet 6 inches was very joyful,” said DK Sharma, a tourist from Delhi.
Agarwal said more eateries and facilities will be developed soon and trains will be started all day around and later in the evening as well.