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SHIMLA: After being revamped and overhauled extensively and fitted with new wheels, the vintage Kalka- Shimla rail motor car is back on the UNESCO heritage railway track since Tuesday. With a final trial held last week on Friday, the rail car hit the tracks on January 22 again.Railway station supervisor of Kalka, Vinay Arora, said, "The rail car has been restored on the track after a gap of about six months and is following its old schedule of 5.10 am from Kalka and 4.25 pm return journey from Shimla. Though there were few passengers on the first day from Kalka, but on its return journey from Shimla to Kalka, it was full."On Wednesday also, the rail car went full on the 96 km stretch, he said. There has been a tremendous response for the vintage car and online bookings were pouring in and queries for chartered bookings were also coming in, he added. The rail car was taken off the tracks last year as the wheels of the car had worn out completely. Besides, it also required other repairs.Fitted with 16 wheels at an estimated cost of over Rs 12 lakh and a new spruced up look, with Shatabadi Express-like chairs, advanced music systems, transparent fibre glass to give an outside view and provision for 12 seats, the rail car is now chugging on the railway track, reminiscing the old world British charm.According to railway officials, the rail car was started by the British in 1927 and with its increasing popularity, four rail cars were introduced at that time, from 1927 to 1930. Last among the four, the rail car here has remained a strong favourite with foreigners and Indians alike, they said.

According to details from Baba Bhalku Railway Museum (BBRM) at Shimla, the narrow gauge Kalka-Shimla track of 2'-6" (762mm), which became a world heritage site in 2008, was constructed during the period 1898-1903. The credit for designing it goes to chief engineer H S Harrington with insights from an unlettered local man Bhalku. The first train from Kalka to Shimla ran on November 9, 1903 on this track.