SATISH HANDA
Information reveals, historic Kalka-Simla rail track in Ambala Railway Division is likely to be delivered in private hands due to incurring heavy financial loss to railways. According to information, against earnings worth Rs10 crore on this 244 km rail track Railway Ministry spending amount worth Rs 25 crore every year. In view of proposal by Union Government’s to privatize 150 trains on 109 routes in the country which include 18 routes in Punjab and Haryana state under Private Public Partnership (PPP) mode and according to a railway spokesman only two companies expressed interest in this proposal so far and the proposal is still hanging on fire.
However, decision yet in pipeline is being taken to privatize narrow old historic rail track since year 1903 between Kalka and Simla along with other similar type narrow rail tracks between Siliguri and Darjeeling in Bengal, Nilgiri rail track in Tamilnadu and Neral – Mathran rail track in Maharashtra attracting large number of tourists every year to be handed over to private companies under PPP mode. While looking at the revenue earnings on Kalka-Simla rail track it earned revenue worth Rs 8.99 crore during the year 2019-20 as against expenses including staff salaries and establishment expenses on the route nearly Rs 35 crore.
There are 18 railway stations in 244 km long rail track between Kalka and Simla thus having large number of engineering, operating and employees at the railways stations on this route. Moreover, in the absence of goods trains services on this route there are limited sources of earnings on the route. Information reveals, during year 2019-20 only7,91,654 passengers travelled between Kalka and Simla earning only Rs 8.99 crore in this period and as a result of KOVID-19 when movement of trains remain suspended and there is also acute shortage of tourists during current season due to epidemic outbreak as such railway department bearing heavy losses due to salaries to the staff and other expenses.Past scenario reveals, nearly 117 years old Kalka-Simla 2.6 feet wide rail track have 861 bridges and 1143.61 metre long tunnel at Badog on the route was identified as World Heritage by United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in July 2008.
