Shimla railway station explained

Shimla railway station
Type:Indian Railways station
Style:Indian Railways
Address:NH 22, Nabha, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Country:India
Coordinates:31.1025°N 77.1601°W
Map Type:India#India Himachal Pradesh
Line:Kalka–Shimla Railway
Other:Auto stand
Elevation:2075m (6,808feet)
Structure:Standard (on-ground station)
Platform:2
Tracks:4 (Narrow Gauge)
Parking:No
Bicycle:No
Opened:1903
Electrified:No
Owned:Indian Railways
Status:Functioning
Embedded:
Child:yes
Part Of:Mountain Railways of India
Criteria:(ii)(iv)
Id:944ter-002
Coordinates:31.1025°N 77.1597°W
Year:1999
Extension:2005, 2008
Area:4.59ha
Buffer Zone:500ha

Shimla railway station (station code: SML[1]) is a railway station in Shimla in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. The station is the terminus of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Kalka–Shimla Railway. Shimla railway station is located at an altitude of 2075m (6,808feet) above mean sea level. It was allotted the railway code of SML under the jurisdiction of Ambala railway division. The -wide narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla Railway was constructed by Delhi–Ambala–Kalka Railway Company and opened for traffic in 1903.[2]

History

The station opened in 1903.[3] Originally, the walls of the station building were made of wood with a sloping galvanised iron roof, but due to the growth in traffic it was rebuilt and extended in 1921 with a new double storey brick masonry (plastered in lime mortar) building housing the offices of the station master, staff and control, accident relief arrangements, waiting rooms, telegraph office and shelters.[4] After the roof over the platform collapsed in 1944 due to a heavy snowfall a new roof over the station building and platform was built.[3]

In 1986–87 the station was redeveloped with end-to-end platform shelters, while the platform was resurfaced and various services refurbished or rebuilt such as the tourist information office, railway telephone exchange, platform ticketing office, reservation office while 10 new retiring rooms (each having large windows providing a valley view) were installed and a waiting hall provided on the ground floor.[4]

Originating Trains

The nearest railway station to Shimla is Kalka. You can take the Kalka to Shimla train route to reach Shimla which is one of India's most beautiful train routes.

!Train No.!Train Name!Destination!Departure!Running!Halts
01624Shimla - Kalka Summer SpecialKalka09:20All Days
52456Himalayan Queen10:40Summer Hill, Jutgoh, Taradevi, Shoghi, Kandaghat, Salogra, Solan, Barog, Dharmpur Himachal
72452Rail Motor11:40N.A.
52458Shimla - Kalka Express14:15Summer Hill, Jutogh, Taradevi, Shoghi, Kathleeghat, Kanoh, Kandaghat, Salogra, Solan, Barog, Kumarhatti, Dharmpur Himachal, Sonwara, Koti, Gumman, Taksal
52460Him Darshan Express15:50Barog
52452Shivalik Deluxe Express17:55Barog
52454Shimla - Kalka NG Express18:35Summer Hill, Jutogh, Taradevi, Shoghi, Kathleeghat, Kanoh, Kandaghat, Salogra, Solan, Barog, Kumarhatti, Dharmpur Himachal

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Station Code Index . Portal of Indian Railways . Centre For Railway Information Systems . 23 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240216225807/https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/coaching/TAG_2023-24/Station_Code_Index.pdf . 16 February 2024 . 8 . PDF . 2023–24.
  2. Engineer journal article, circa 1915, reprinted in Narrow Gauge & Industrial Railway Modelling Review, no. 75, July 2008
  3. Web site: About Shimla Town . Indian Railways . December 5, 2018.
  4. Web site: Kalka Shimla Railway (India) No 944 ter . UNESCO . November 29, 2018.