Shimla, Dec 20 (PTI) Northern Railways on Friday commenced New Year and winter season special trains on the UNESCO world heritage Shimla-Kalka narrow gauge railway line, an official said.

The trains will operate until February 28, 2025 for tourist visiting Shimla during the holiday season, Station Superintendent Shimla Railway Station Sanjay Ghera.

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He said that 81 passengers boarded the train on the very first day.

According to the schedule, train number 52443 (KLK-SML) will depart from Kalka at 8:05 am and will reach Shimla at 1:35 pm. Similarly, another train number 52444, will depart from Shimla at 4:50 pm and will reach Kalka at 9:45 pm.

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These special holiday trains would not only be instrumental in promoting tourism but will also generate revenue for the railways, Ghera said and added that the train can accommodate about 156 passengers.

The trains will stop at Dharampur, Barog, Solan, Kandaghat and Summerhill railway stations. There are a total of seven coaches including three general coaches and two each of chair car and first class.

An official of Northern Railways, Ambala Division said the decision to run two holiday trains was prompted by the surge in tourist inflow to Shimla during Christmas and New Year.

Heavy bookings have been received for the Christmas season, with 25 to 30 per cent advance reservations for New Year, Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders Association President M K Seth said.

The Britishers laid the first rail link to connect Shimla in 1903. In 2009, the Kalka-Shimla rail track was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

There are 103 tunnels on the 96.6 kilometres long narrow gauge railway track, besides 800 bridges, 919 curves and 18 railway stations. Shimla-Kalka became the first narrow gauge track in the country to run Vistadome coach on December 11, 2018.

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