CHANDIGARH: In a first, the commissioner of railway safety (CRS) will conduct speed trial with the maximum test of 35 kmph (kilometre per hour) between Shogi-Shimla section located on the UNESCO heritage Kalka-Shimla section.According to sources, in a communication that the CRS sent to the Ambala division it was stated that considering the request by the division, oscillation trials would soon be conducted on the section.Officials said this was for the first time that the trial would be conducted in two stations of a heritage section as in past all three trials conducted were on the entire section that had failed due to 900 curves, 103 tunnels and 800 bridges. The railway officials said the section between Shogi and Shimla had less curves and at present the speed on this section was 23-24 kmph.The move is a part of the Union railway minister's plan to increase the speed in phases on this section.The division has been asked to conduct the trial with the existing coaches that are fitted with modified boggies. For the trial, seven coaches, including three chair cars, two first class chair cars, one general and one SPPHR used by the postal department, will be used by the CRS for maximum speed of 35 kmph for this section.In the communication, the CRS has stated that the sanction for the speed increase was subject to observance of all permanent and temporary speed restriction in force and those that might be imposed from time to time on various accounts. During the trial, all conditions would be stipulated in Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and the northern railway joint safety certificate and bridges certificate would be followed.The RDSO has already conducted the trial on the Kalka-Shimla section on January 25 with the maximum speed of 30kmph with the locomotive. The report in this regard is still awaited.After green signal from the CRS, speed on this section can be increase from 22kmph to 35kmph that would cut down travelling time. In November 2018, a five-member team of the Kalka railway station had conducted a trial run between Kalka and Shimla to monitor relocation of signals in case speed was increased on the said section. A special train that had seven rakes plied on this section for the trial run.In a meeting with the Himachal Pradesh chief minister, Union railways minister Piyush Goyal had discussed increasing speed and frequency of the trains on the section. The Union minister assured all possible support by the state after which he said that speed and frequency of trains running on the Kalka- Shimla railway line would be increased.

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