Shimla Winter Special: New Dharampur-Shimla Train Coming
Indian Railways plans a special holiday train between Dharampur and Shimla to support winter tourists during ongoing track restoration.
Indian Railways is finalizing plans to operate a holiday special train between Dharampur and Shimla to accommodate the massive influx of visitors during the upcoming winter tourist season.
Enhancing Access Amidst Track Restoration
The initiative aims to improve accessibility for tourists while essential restoration work continues on the Kalka-Shimla rail track. This follows a bridge collapse near Taksal, which has necessitated ongoing repairs to the heritage route. Currently, rail connectivity is restricted, with only limited services operating between Dharampur and Shimla.
To ensure safety, the Railway Board's technical wing has formally requested visibility reports from all stations along the route. These reports must be submitted by a deadline of November 1. Once these reports are approved and the track conditions are deemed favorable, the special train service is expected to commence.
Potential for Additional Services
To meet the projected high demand for travel during the winter months, authorities are not only planning one special service but are also considering the deployment of a second additional train. This would provide much-needed relief to travelers during the peak season.
To support this increase in service, significant infrastructure work is underway:
- New Service Track: A dedicated service track is being constructed at the Dharampur railway station to accommodate the parking of additional coaches and trains.
- Timetable Coordination: The Railway Board is currently reviewing the proposal and working with officials to approve a revised timetable for these extra services.
Important Schedule Updates
While the special trains will provide more options, passengers should be aware of upcoming service changes. To facilitate the ongoing track restoration efforts, some scheduled trains on this route are set to face cancellations from December 1 to December 31, 2026.
Tourism stakeholders and local business operators have urged the authorities to accelerate these infrastructure repairs to restore full connectivity to Shimla as quickly as possible.