Stationed amid old-world charm
Gitanjali Sharma

COME again! A getaway to a railway station? Never. The mere words hurtle up images of dust, dirt, nauseating smell of coal, jostling passengers and shrill chaiwallahs scurrying to and fro.

This is how most of us are likely to react when such a seemingly absurd suggestion comes up. But one visit to Barog railway station, and you will gladly eat your words. This station is everything that a regular rail terminal is not. It is pretty and picturesque. Quaint and steeped in an old-world charm, it remains silent and peaceful for most parts of the day; and stationed amidst mountains, it lies soaked in the sweet smell of pines and the cool, misty air they transport. What is more, there is nothing dingy, dull or drab about its look. Instead the station building, which has a couple of retiring rooms and a restaurant, appears like an inviting rest bungalow dating back to the days of the Raj. In one line, it is a station where you would happily miss your train and not be in a hurry to catch the next one.

Since it is not linked with any motorable road, this rail section can be reached, of course, by train or on foot. You could park your vehicle at Galog, a couple of kilometres beyond Kumarhatti on the Kalka-Shimla road (NH21), and take about a km-long descent to the station. Galog has a signboard indicating the station. If you are keen on a longer trek as well as care more about the safety of your vehicle, park your vehicle in Solan, which is about 4 km from Barog.

The minute you catch sight of this small and delightfully old-fashioned station, the little weariness, if any, resulting from the trek is likely to disappear. Amazingly, the station and the tracks have not robbed the mountains of their peace and quietude even though five trains go up and down this century-old station everyday, after halting here for 10 minutes. In summers, to meet the tourist rush, the number of trains goes up to eight. Just as the coaches heading for the Queen of Hills disappear into the tunnel No 33 here, the stillness and tranquillity enveloping the section returns till the next toy train rolls by. Despite signs of mechanisation, the quiet dignity of the powerful peaks remains unshakable`85 why even the tunnel, which is the longest (1143.61m) of the 102 tunnels on this line, seems to get a benign nod of acceptance from the towering sentinels flanking the station.

A century may have passed since the station came up in 1903, but the beauty of its building refuses to fade. In Gothic architectural style, the building bearing a bungalow-ish look - complete with a red roof, a porch with wooden pillars and railing painted bright blue and white and planters hanging from the ceiling - makes a colourful picture. The comfortable wooden benches on the spotlessly clean platform with the bell-shaped orange tecomagrandiflora in the backdrop, neatly trimmed hedges along the track, and the small fountain in front of the retiring rooms only enhance the scenic splendour of the station. A natural spring, flowing under the station, has been tapped for drinking purposes as well as for feeding the fountain.

The station has three retiring rooms, which can be rented out for Rs 100 each for a night. Besides these rooms, which offer just the basic infrastructure, you have the one-room Shivalik Hut, which is more luxurious and comes at Rs 750 for one night. This flat-roofed cemented structure, however, appears drab and plain-looking besides the attractive main station building. Since it finds few takers, the authorities have stalled further construction plans. A motorable road up to the station could increase its popularity, feel railway officials.

Besides satiating you with striking sights, the station caters for another holiday essential - good food. If the trek to the station has left you ravenous, go ahead and order a plate of cutlets, sandwiches and hot coffee. This can be followed by a fine sumptuous meal. The station not only offers catering services to the entire rail section but also has a restaurant that boasts a fairly long menu card.

Even if you are planning to savour the station for just a few hours, don't fail to take a walk in the tunnel - though of course after checking the train timings. The wet feel, the welcome drop in temperature and the soothing darkness inside is enlivening to say the least on a hot sultry day. Outside the tunnel is a notice that says it has been designed by an engineer called H.S. Harington, who took the aid of a local sadhu, Bhalku. The tunnel and the place have been named after Barog, a British railway engineer, who was earlier given charge of constructing the tunnel. Unfortunately, he committed suicide after he failed to align both ends of the tunnel and was charged a penalty of Re 1. This unaligned tunnel can be visited about a km away from the station.

Another unmissable spot is the mound behind the Shivalik Hut. You are likely to lose track of time as you sit atop this hill, sprinkled and scented with pine trees. The caressing cool breeze feels celestial as you draw in a part of the station area, the national highway below, the lofty cliffs nearby and the hills and habitations afar.

If you are staying at the station for a day or more, take short treks to Solan, the hotel Barog Heights or the Anji village nearby. Children would relish a joy ride to Solan. You could catch the train back the same day after may be taking a look at the town market. If you are up to more sporty action, go ahead and try a game of badminton. Sounds incredible, but there's a court on the station!

In between all this languid activity, take time to call on the bygone era. You have traces of it all around`85 the pieces of crockery which date back to 19th century (these are shown only to VIPs or on special request), the row of large sinks with antique-looking taps in the washroom, pieces of dated furniture shoved into corners`85the list is long. Back from the trip to the past, you hope that the move initiated by the railway authorities to declare the Kalka-Shimla line a heritage track will come through`85 if only to allow some of the ignored remnants of the past to be displayed as proud relics of a period that brought locomotion to this hilly land.

Photos by the writer