Tribuneindia
Jagmeet Y. Ghuman

Parwanoo, January 2
It was a century ago when the train carrying general public made its
maiden run on the Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge section.

Though the first train on the track was flagged off on November 9,
1903, the track was thrown open to the general public on January 1,
1906. On first day of 1906, the train carrying general public started
its journey from Kalka to Shimla.

Till then, it was only a privilege for the British to joy ride on
this wonder rail track making its way through zigzag lush green
valleys surrounded by wooded hills.

After Shimla became the summer seat of the government, it was felt
that the journey to that place was a hard affairs. The only mode of
transport at that time were jampans and ponies.

The opening of the grand Hindustan-Tibet road was the first major
development in this field in 1856. The idea of rail network
germinated in the mind of the British in 1846 when the cotton crop
was badly damaged in Manchester, England.

It proved a major setback to the British cotton industry. At that
time the British thought of importing cotton from India hence the
idea of setting up a railway track in the country was mooted. During
the reign of Lord Dalhousie, the first train in country was started
between Bombay to Thane, in 1853. The broad gauge line to Kalka was
opened for traffic on January 3, 1891.

However, the idea to lay rail track to Shimla was mooted in November
1847 when a "Delhi Gazette" correspondent sketched the route of the
railway line to Shimla with detailed cost and traffic returns. He
wrote: "We may then see these cooler regions become the permanent
seat of the government." After lengthy debates, an adhesion line to
Shimla was chosen on June 29, 1898.

The contract was signed between the Secretary of the State and the
Delhi-Ambala-Kalka Railway Company for the construction and working
of the 34 inch gauge line from Kalka to Shimla that was revised on
November 18, 1901, on the strategic consideration with 30 inch gauge.

Because of the high cost and working expenses, the Delhi-Ambala-Kalka
Company was soon faced with a financial crisis. It reported the
matter to the Secretary of State. The line was, therefore, purchased
on January 1, 1906.

According to old-timers of the area, the crossing of the first train
carrying their own people was not less than a miracle for them.
People stood watching on both sides of the track to greet the
passengers.

There was a festive mood in the area. This was despite the fact that
the construction work had proved a nightmare for the local people.
Most of the casualties during the track laying work took place while
digging the Barog tunnel, the longest on the track.

The digging of the tunnel not only proved a grave for hundreds of
workers, it was also a hard nut to crack for British engineers.

Colonel Barog, the British engineer entrusted with the responsibly to
complete the work on the tunnel, had to commit suicide after failing
to bear the shame on not being able to join both ends of the tunnel.
It is said the British spent Rs 500 on distributing sweets among the
workers when both ends of tunnel were finally joined successfully.