Toy trains on the UNESCO world heritage Kalka-Shimla track will not be able to speed beyond 23 kmph as Northern Railways has installed speed governors in all such locomotives.
“The Railways has installed speed governors in all the locomotives. When a train will hit 23 kmph, a warning system will alert the driver to slow down. If the train doesn’t reduce speed and touches 27 kmph, emergency brakes will be applied automatically,” Divisional Railway Manager (Ambala Division), Northern Railway Dinesh Kumar said. This was done after a few trains derailed on the Kalka-Shimla track due to over-speeding. “Such devices are installed on locomotives running on broad gauge. This is the first time that speed governors will be present in locomotives running on narrow gauge track (2feet x 6inches). These have been manufactured indigenously by the Railways and are inexpensive,’’ Kumar said.
The step was taken after two Britons were killed and 13 others were injured when two coaches of a chartered train derailed in Parwanoo in September 2015