Shimla is a beautiful place to visit in India. Travelling to Shimla is also a great experience. Most of the tourists visiting Shimla travel through Delhi. Surrounded by natural beauty, Delhi to Shimla route is a paradise for travel freaks. The distance between Shimla and Delhi is 352 km. Shimla and Delhi are not connected by direct train. The best route to reach Shimla from Delhi is Delhi-Kalka line and then Kalka-Shimla line.
Trains from Delhi to Kalka
New Delhi to Kalka route is a broad gauge track which has regular train services. Most of the trains from Delhi depart from SaraiRohala, New Delhi and Old Delhi railway stations. Himalayan Queen, Kalka Shatabdi, Paschim Express, Kalka Shatabdi and Howarh Kalka Mail are the five major trains operating from Delhi to Kalka.
Note that Howarh Kalka Maildeparts from Old Delhi railway station instead of New Delhi station. Shatabdi Express from Delhi takes the least time duration of 4 hours from Delhi to Kalka. The Shatabdi Express starts at7.40 am and arrives at Kalka at 11.45 am. Other trains take approximately 5 to 6 hours to travel from Delhi to Kalka.The trains from New Delhi reach Ambala Cantonment. You can take another train or use a cab service to reach Shimla from Ambala Cantonment.
Trains from Kalka to Shimla
Once Kalka is reached, the traveller can take a toy mini train to reach Shimla.The toy mini train ride is a narrow gauge line from Kalka to Shimla. This railway line is preserved as World Heritage Site by UNESCO.The toy mini train takes a long time duration from Kalka to Shimla since it uses a narrow gauge and the route is hilly.
The long duration is justified by the scenic landscapes you get to admire on the way. Rail Motor, KLK SML Passenger, Shiwalik EXP, KLK SML EXP, and Himalayan Queen are some of the trainservices that are available between Kalka and Shimla. Shivalik Deluxe Express, Kalka Shimla Rail Motor, and Kalka Shimla NG Express are the most popular trains from Kalka to Shimla. All the trains that are starting from New Delhi have toy mini train connections between Kalka and Shimla except the train Paschim Express and evening Shatabdi.
You can also get a taxi or cab service from Kalka to reach Shimla. Explore the beauty of Himachal Pradesh by choosing to travel by train.
