Shimla, Jan 24 (UNI) Rail traffic on the historic route was severely disrupted on Friday following rain and snowfall that triggered landslides and the fall of trees and boulders on the track.
Train movement was halted for extended periods in forested stretches near Sanwara, Kumarhatti, and Jatog, causing cascading delays throughout the day.
According to railway officials, three trains reached three to four hours behind schedule, while one train was delayed by about an hour. The Himalayan Queen, which departed with an initial delay of 35 minutes, remained stranded in the Sanwara forest for nearly half an hour and ultimately reached Shimla around an hour late. The late arrival of up trains led to corresponding delays in down services towards Kalka.
The first train of the day, the 52457- Kalka–Shimla Express, departed at its scheduled time of 3:30 am but was held up between Dharampur and Kumarhatti for around 50 minutes, reaching Shimla at 9:50 am, about an hour late.
The 52451- Shivalik Express, which left Kalka at 5:45 am, faced repeated stoppages at Dharampur, Barog, and Jatog, arriving in Shimla nearly four hours late.
Other services, including the 52453 and 52459 Kalka–Shimla Express trains, were delayed by over three hours at different points. The Shimla–Kalka Express also departed late, by about three-and-a-half hours.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Naveen Kumar, said railway teams worked continuously to clear the track and ensure passenger safety, while train schedules were rescheduled by the Railway Board in view of prevailing weather conditions.
UNI ML VAN AAB