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Kalka-Shimla toy train back in service

          Shimla: Himachal Pradesh's century-old toy train is back in service after damages caused in landslides took it off the tracks. Rain had washed away the railway line on August 14. Around 350 meters of tracks were hanging since then. For 15 days, the Shimla-Kalka train service was suspended, badly affecting the region's tourism industry. "Business has gone down tremendously. Business of taxis, hotels, and also for the government will now be better. Now, the tourists will come. Labourers, who had gone home, will also come back," said B. L. Sharma, a manager with the Himachal Tourism Corporation. People who depend on the train for their livelihood like porters said they were affected by the suspension. "We were jobless. We stayed hungry. Our job depends on the functioning of the train. Now, it has started running again. So, everyone associated with it will have a job now," said Gulam Mohammad, a porter. Tourists also expressed their joy over the resumption of the train service. "When I reached Kalka, I found that the train was not running. I had a ticket till Shimla but had to go by taxi. The train became functional yesterday. It's a good thing. People can now enjoy the journey," said Himanshu, a tourist from Delhi. Introduced in 1903 during the British regime, the toy train runs on narrow gauge along the upper reaches of Koti in Solan District. The train has been chosen as India's official entry for inscription as a world heritage for 2008.
- August 29,  2007