In a bid to avert inconvenience to commuters caused by frequent landslides on the Kalka-Shimla rail track, the Railways have suspended four toy train services for 10 days, till August 5.

The partial disruption of rail traffic has been necessitated by repeated landslides that have affected the smooth movement of trains. Low passenger occupancy on these services has also contributed to operational losses.

The four cancelled trains include two uphill services from Kalka to Shimla (Train Nos. 52451 and 52459) and two downhill services from Shimla to Kalka (Train Nos. 52452 and 52460), a railway official from the Ambala Railway Division confirmed.

The UNESCO World Heritage narrow-gauge Kalka-Shimla rail line is frequently affected during the monsoon, with heavy rainfall triggering landslides that disrupt train services. Besides causing inconvenience to passengers, such disruptions also result in financial losses for the Railways, as alternate modes of transport have to be arranged for onward travel.

During the current monsoon season, rail traffic has faced several disruptions. On July 3, a landslide on the Kathlighat-Kano section temporarily halted train operations.

The Shivalik Deluxe Express, travelling from Shimla to Kalka with 107 passengers on board, was stranded in the affected section while restoration work was carried out.

The restoration took several hours, delaying the movement of other trains on the route as well.

Railway staff had to arrange three buses to transport passengers to Kalka, resulting in additional expenditure and inconvenience.