 "Himachal Pradesh")
Train operations in the Kalka-Shimla track have been suspended since July 9, and all the trains on the line have been cancelled. According to officials, the trains will remain suspended till August 6 as the restoration work is under process.
Himachal Pradesh and Haryana experienced heavy rains in the last few weeks that damaged rails and roads, and halted transportation in the region.
The railway might run temporary trains between Shimla and Solan.
The track has been shut in several locations because of tree felling, shooting stones, gushing waters, etc.
There is heavy damage at over 100 locations between Kalka and Solan, particularly near Koti, Sonwara, and in the Shivalik Hill belt, as the restoration work is taking time, say officials.
The divisional railway manager (DRM) of Ambala Division, Mandeep Singh Bhatia, said the hill slip is the reason behind the damage at Kalka.
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According to Mandeep Singh, the damage affected the railway apparatus at Kalka, and the department is planning to start temporary train operations between Shimla and Solan. Several constraints have been made, like setting up rakes, and availability of fuels at Kalka and now arrangements are being made at Shimla.
In the process of taking steps in this direction, loco train runs are also being conducted between both stations on Monday.
When the DRM was asked about the loss due to ticket cancellations and damage due to the rain, he replied, "An estimated loss due to damage is around ₹6 crore that might go up to ₹10 crore as the restoration works proceed, while the loss due to cancellations can’t be calculated as most trains have unreserved category.”
The rail operations resumed on the Ropar-Nangal Dam on Monday morning and was halted due to damage. All the train operations at the Ambala division are smooth.
