The Kalka–Shimla Railway
is a narrow gauge railway
in North-West India
travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka
. It is known for breathtaking views of the hills and surrounding villages.
Shimla (then spelt Simla) was settled by the British shortly after the first Anglo-Gurkha war
, and is located at in the foothills of the Himalayas
. By the 1830s, Shimla had already developed as a major base for the British. It became the summer capital of British India in 1864, and was also the headquarters of the British army in India. Prior to construction of the railway communication with the outside world was via village cart.
The railway was constructed by the Delhi-Ambala-Kalka Railway Company commencing in 1898. Because of the high capital and maintenance cost, coupled with peculiar working conditions, the Kalka–Shimla Railway was allowed to charge fares that were higher than the prevailing tariffs on other lines. However, even this was not good enough to sustain the company and the Government had to purchase it on January 1, 1906 for Rs 1,71,07,748.
In mid-August 2007, the government of Himachal Pradesh
declared the railway a heritage property in preparation for its review in... Read More