Rail motor cars, which were discontinued on Himachal’s Kalka-Shimla heritage route, are finally making a comeback. Indian Railways has announced the operation of these rail motor cars as regular train service. These special train cars will commence operations on March 18, 2021. The Ministry of Railways has shared pictures of the rail motor cars on Twitter, stating, “Experience the bliss of travelling on Kalka Shimla Heritage route in Rail Motor Car… Indian Railway announces operation of Rail Motor Car as regular Train service. It will run 04505/04506Kalka-Shimla-Kalka trains as RAIL MOTOR CAR Special Exp. Trains from 18.03.21.”
Experience the bliss of travelling on Kalka Shimla Heritage route in Rail Motor Car:
Indian Railway announces operation of Rail Motor Car as regular Train service. It will run 04505/04506Kalka-Shimla-Kalka trains as RAIL MOTOR CAR Special Exp. Trains from 18.03.21. pic.twitter.com/NJWCdtGZoe
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) March 14, 2021
Also Read: 5 Trains From Delhi Which Take You To 5 Incredible Destinations In 5 Hours
The Rail Motor Car Will Halt Midway Only At Barog
The motor car is a 14-seater carriage and travels at a speed of around 40 kilometres/hour. It takes nearly 4.2 hours to reach the final stop. It will take a halt only at Barog, one of the most scenic railway stations in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. Reportedly, the rail motor car will start from Kalka at 5.25 AM. It will reach Shimla at 9.05 AM. From Shimla, it will leave at around 11.40 AM and reach Kalka at 4.30 PM, after halting at Barog at 2.10 PM. Meanwhile, did you know about the glass-domed coaches of Indian Railways with rotating seats for nature-loving travellers?
Also Read: 7 Most Scenic Train Journeys In India You Should Take At Least Once
Kalka-Shimla Railway Route Is A UNESCO World Heritage Site
The railway motor car, which had been running for almost 85 years, was discontinued in 2012, due to the wearing off of wheels. Its comeback has drawn positive reactions from many netizens on Twitter. Mr. Shreya Kisan replied, “Done that. Childhood memories, nearly 45 years ago!!” Another user commented, “Excellent move.” The Kalka-Shimla Railway route, which passes through the most mountainous stretch between Kalka and Shimla, offers breathtaking views of the valley, the hills and the surrounding hamlets. Only July 8, 2008, the route was added by UNESCO to the mountain railways of India World Heritage Site. So, the next time you go to Himachal, don’t forget to get onboard these quaint rail motor cars.
First Published: March 17, 2021 2:01 PM