Sunday, December 24, 2017

Railway station Barog and whispering in tunnel number 33

Shimla, India:
Shimla Kalka UNESCO World Heritage narrow gauge train of India covers it's 96 kilometers route with 880 bridges, over 919 turns and 102 tunnels all through the scenic Himalayan valley which is covered with beautiful coniferous trees of pines, deodars, oaks, willows and blooming dendron.
Shimla, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla Railway Station, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla Railway Station, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla Railway Station, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Shimla Railway Station, India, a hill city at 2276 m

Kalka Shimal Railway, India, a World Heritage narrow gauge train

Kalka Shimal Railway, India, a World Heritage narrow gauge train


Railway station Barog:
My train 52456 reached on a sunny, cool afternoon of 6th December 2017 to a railway station Barog, operational since it's inception in 1903 at 1560 m elevation in Himalayan valley, borrows it's name from an English gentleman Colonel Barog, a British Engineer then in British India, who was responsible for making of the adjacent 1143.61 m long tunnel, now recorded as straightest in the world.

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation and Barog tunnel number 33

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation and Barog tunnel number 33

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation and Barog tunnel number 33


His master's apparition:
As train stopped at the platform of the Barog railway station, I saw a black dog looking towards the adjacent tunnel number 33 from behind the station building, as if he was waiting for his master to appear from somewhere. That's a sad story to recount.

Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation

Barog tunnel number 33 at Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation

Barog tunnel number 33 at Barog railway station at 1531 m elevation

The sad story:
It is said that due to his minor miscalculation, both ends of then excavated tunnel could not meet in the center as it was supposed to be. His due frustration and Re 1 humiliating fine from then British authorities aggravated his depression.


He killed himself by his service revolver at that very entrance of the failed tunnel number 33.  It was his dog that came rushing back to the nearby people to take them to the spot where his master Colonel Barog lay in a pool of blood on that fateful day. His grave lies there ever since. Tunnel and railway station is now known as Barog to his honour.

The whispering:
Scary silence echoes the train reverberations of carriage wheels & whistling engine when train enters into this long, dark, wet, eerie, damp tunnel. These reverberating sound in tunnel number 33 seems to be mixed with the whispering of Colonel Barog too.


Locals believe that his apparition is often seen in and around, moving to and fro this tunnel in frustration, riding his horse.

(Note:Pictures and travel account from author's personal journey made on 6th December 2017 afternoon)