The Trains to Shimla

18/4/09

Very early start (about 5.30!) for our journey to Shimla. We took the Shatabdi Express from Delhi to Kalka, approx 4 hours. It was a very nice journey with spacious reclining seats, air con and meals served throughout the duration.

Kalka station - cows wander around everywhere!

From Kalka we took the toy train for our 5 hour journey to Shimla. 

This rail link was built by the British in 1899 and has a total of 102 tunnels!

It was a beautiful scenic journey climbing up through very pretty locations and stations.

There were plenty of stops at stations for food or toilets

During the journey from Delhi some of our party became very ill. One was sick before we left Delhi and another looked alarmingly pale and very poorly on the toy train. Both left the train at one of the stops and continued the journey by car, which was much quicker. They were treated by a doctor on arrival in Shimla. The rest of us arrived about 5.30 and almost immediately I had diarrhoea and felt very tired. I took an immodium and slept for a couple of hours, after which I felt much better but ravenous. One of my party suggested some plain rice, yoghurt and bread which were brought to my room. It was the most delicious yoghurt and bread I have ever tasted, it was all excellent and did the job of gently filling my by now empty stomach. A good night's sleep meant that by the next morning I felt weak but fine and no more diarrhoea. Seven of us had been ill. I think mine had been a combination of exhaustion and heat from the previous day (40 deg and non stop sightseeing), and the diesel fumes from the toy train wafting in every time we went through a tunnel