Kalka-Simla Railway

Kalka-Simla Railway
Line of route
Kalka to Simla
Gauge / mileage
2' 6" NG	59 miles (1905)
Timeline
1903	Opened to traffic
1905	Converted to 2' 6" gauge
1906	Taken over by GoI
Key locations
Presidency	Bengal
Stations	Kalka, Simla
System agency
1903	Own agency
after 1906	North Western Railway
How to interpret this infobox

The Kalka-Simla Railway (KSR) was a narrow gauge branchline, the final leg in the journey from Delhi via Umballa to the hill town of Simla, the summer retreat of the Viceroy and senior Government of India staff.

History

Originally built and worked by a private company, the line was opened in 1903 as a 2' 0" narrow gauge railway. Following the decision of the Imperial General Staffs to standardise, wherever possible, on a 2' 6" gauge, the track was so converted in 1905.

The KSR was taken over by the Government in 1906 and later worked by the North Western Railway.

The KSR remains one of the longest narrow gauge railway lines still operated by Indian Railways.

Stations

Some of the stations on the line, in order from Kalka to Simla.

• 
  Dharampur
• 
  Kumarhatti
• 
  Solan
• 
  Kathlighat

External links

• Kalka-Shimla Railway Wikipedia
• "Hill Lines of India" Mike's Railway History.
• The DVD Indian Hill Railways (Darjeeling, Nilgiri, Kalka-Shimla) is available through Amazon.co.uk from the FIBIS Shop This DVD is for Region 2 and may not be viewable outside Europe.
• This India List thread advises that duties of one soldier while on the Unattached List included the training in weaponry of the builders of one of the Indian railways (probably the Kalka-Simla), in order to defend themselves from attacks which were an ever present threat.