The rollout of 28 panoramic coaches on the UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge railway has been delayed after the chief commissioner of railway safety flagged defects in their air-conditioning systems and passenger amenities. Northern Railway has begun sending the coaches back to the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala for repairs and fresh testing.
The coaches had reached Kalka yard as part of an effort to modernise the passenger experience on the historic mountain route, which is known for its tunnels, bridges and views of the Himalayan landscape. They will not be introduced into passenger service until the deficiencies are rectified and the units clear renewed technical and safety trials, railway sources told the Times of India.
Five of the 28 coaches have already been transported to Kapurthala. The remaining coaches are being prepared for dispatch on special heavy trucks because the narrow-gauge rolling stock cannot be moved directly over the broad-gauge railway connection between Kapurthala and Kalka.
The defects identified during inspection include inadequate cooling capacity in the air-conditioning system and shortcomings in other passenger amenities. The report did not specify the individual components requiring repair or provide a revised date for the start of passenger operations.
The panoramic coaches are intended to support the heritage tourism appeal of the Kalka-Shimla line while adding modern facilities for visitors. The railway attracts thousands of tourists each year, and the new coaches were expected to provide a more comfortable way to experience the route’s mountainous terrain and historic infrastructure.
Moving the coaches by road also highlights the logistical constraints involved in maintaining and upgrading a narrow-gauge railway. The line’s gauge is incompatible with the broad-gauge network linking Kapurthala and Kalka, requiring specialised multi-axle trucks and carefully planned road movements.
Northern Railway had used a similar approach just days earlier to transport two narrow-gauge locomotives on heavy-duty road trailers. That operation involved route planning, temporary road clearances and low-speed movement along congested highway sections, where sharp bends, steep terrain and low-clearance overbridges posed additional challenges.
The locomotive movement demonstrated that heavy narrow-gauge rolling stock could be transported without dismantling its core structural components. Railway authorities are now using that operational experience to send the 28 panoramic coaches back to Kapurthala for technical rectification. The coaches will be considered for deployment only after repairs and fresh technical and safety trials are completed.
