Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], August 18 : Train services on the Kalka-Shimla railway line were disrupted on Tuesday after a landslide was reported between Gumman and Koti stations, railway authorities said.
According to an official railway communication dated August 18, the landslide occurred at kilometre 11/7-8 between Gumman and Koti at around 3:15 pm. Train No. 52458, which was bound for Koti, reached Koti at around 3:28 pm and was short-terminated due to the obstruction.
Railway authorities said the Engineering Department had estimated that restoration of the track would take around four to five hours.
As a result, Train No. 52454, scheduled to depart Shimla at 5:45 pm, was cancelled between Shimla and Kalka on August 18.
Similarly, Train No. 52456, scheduled to depart Shimla at 6:40 pm, was also cancelled between Shimla and Kalka.
The railway communication said that after restoration of the track, the affected train services would operate from Shimla towards Kalka.
Railway and engineering teams were expected to undertake clearance and restoration work to remove the obstruction and restore normal train movement on the heritage Kalka-Shimla route.
Meanwhile, a layer of fog engulfed the Queen of the Hills as heavy monsoon rainfall lashed several parts of the state on Tuesday.
Himachal Pradesh has recorded 197 deaths in 50 days of the monsoon disaster period since June 30, with 81 fatalities attributed directly to rain-triggered disasters and another 116 to road accidents, while cumulative losses have crossed Rs 1,000 crore amid the continuous heavy rainfall in several parts of the state.
According to the latest State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) data released on Tuesday evening, the state continued to battle the impact of heavy rain and landslides, with 88 roads blocked across Himachal Pradesh as of 5 pm. However, restoration operations made progress during the day, with the number of blocked roads falling from 105 in the morning.
Mandi remains the worst affected, with 32 roads blocked, followed by Kullu with 25 and Sirmaur with 10.