Service along the historic UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla toy train route was halted after heavy monsoon rainfall triggered a major landslide that deposited mud and boulders across the railway tracks.
The landslide occurred on a mountain incline between Kumarhatti and Solan, obstructing the narrow-gauge line and stranding more than 400 tourists and commuters aboard multiple passenger trains. Northern Railway authorities promptly suspended all scheduled toy train services along the scenic route as a precautionary measure. Disaster management personnel and railway engineering teams mobilized earthmovers and technical squads to clear rock debris, stabilize compromised slopes, and construct safe pedestrian pathways.
Railway officials arranged alternative bus transport to ferry stranded passengers from intermediate stations to their destinations in Shimla and Kalka. Track maintenance crews conducted extensive structural inspections of the narrow-gauge embankment to ensure stability before authorizing the resumption of train services.
Northern Railway announced that regular train operations will resume following complete clearance of debris and safety certification from track engineers.
The Kalka-Shimla railway, built in 1903 during the British colonial era, navigates 102 tunnels and over 800 bridges across dramatic Himalayan mountain terrain, making it particularly vulnerable to seasonal monsoon debris flows. Northern Railway deployed specialized civil engineering consultants to conduct geotechnical drone surveys along the compromised slope, planning permanent rock-bolting and retaining wall reinforcements to prevent recurrent blockages.
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