Inside the Haunted Tunnel No. 33 of the Kalka-Shimla Railway Line

Inside of an abandoned Tunnel of the Kalka-Shimla Railway Line in Himachal Pradesh in India it is said the ghost of the engineer that built it is haunting it. But what exactly happened to the ill fated Tunnel No. 33 and the other haunted tunnels on these tracks?

Shimla was considered the summer place for the British and became the official summer capital in 1864 and also known as Queen of the Hills. It is the biggest city in the Himachal Pradesh Province and is in the Western Himalayas

This is why they needed a railway as the entire government and military had to move back and to Calcutta twice a year.

Read more: Check out all of the ghost stories from India

The Kalka Shimla Railway was built in the late 19th century by the British government to connect Kalka to Shimla at the foot of the Himalayas. Known for its breathtaking mountain views it also has a couple of ghost stories going on along the track.

Inside of an abandoned Tunnel of the Kalka-Shimla Railway Line in Himachal Pradesh in India it is said the ghost of the engineer that built it is haunting it. But what exactly happened to the ill fated Tunnel No. 33 and the other haunted tunnels on these tracks? — *Source*

The Haunted History of Tunnel No. 33

One of the tunnels the line passes through is called the Barog Tunnel and is named after Colonel Barog who was in charge of construction and is known as the straightest tunnel in the world. This is also the longest tunnel of 1143.61 meters long and is located at an altitude of 1565 meters above sea level. It will take around two minutes by train going at 25 kilometers per hour to ride through it before reaching Barog station on the other side.

In 1898, Colonel Barog was put in charge of building the tunnel. He was an English railway engineer and given a strict deadline.

The legend surrounding Tunnel No. 33 is that Colonel Barog was tasked with constructing the tunnel but failed to complete it within the given time frame. To meet the deadline, he instructed the workers to dig from both sides and to meet in the middle. But because of his miscalculation the project failed.

As a result, he was fined a Rupee and humiliated in front of his peers. This was a lot to be fined for a construction worker at the time, and unable to bear the shame, he committed suicide close to what is now the Barog Pine Wood Hotel. It was also said he had struggled with depression already before this. According to the stories, he was out for a walk together with his dog when he shot himself.

After his death another engineer named HS Herlington completed the Tunnel No. 33 a kilometer away from the original spot together with an Indian diviner named Baba Bhalku.

The Paranormal Activity in Tunnel No. 33

Some have reported hearing disembodied voices, feeling a cold breeze, and seeing apparitions. Others have reported feeling a sense of unease and discomfort while inside the tunnel.

It is said that the locals see him frequently inside and around the tunnel, often on horse. He is known to be a talkative ghost that answers people’s questions and keeps conversations going with those that meet him.

Now the tunnel has been closed, but activity seems to keep happening around it. Even though the government has put a lock on the tunnel several times to keep people out, people keep finding ways in, or perhaps something just needs a way out?

The Other Haunted Tunnels of the Kalka-Shimla Railway Line

Although the story of Tunnel No. 33 is the most told about, it is not the only place on the tracks thought to be haunted.

There are also stories about Tunnel No. 46 and 103. Mostly they talk about Tunnel No. 103, otherwise known as the Inveram Tunnel, and that it is haunted by a British ghost that likes to speak with travelers. It is worth nothing that many of the stories get mixed up with the story of Colonel Barog and Tunnel No. 33. Tunnel 103 is the last tunnel on the way toward Shimla

There are also stories about the spirit of a woman moving through the walls of the Tunnel No. 33 and giving off horrifying screams. She is also said to be wearing a black sari as she is carrying a malnourished baby.

The Truth Behind the Legends

But what about these legends about Tunnel No. 33 and the rest of the supposedly haunted tunnels are actually true? What we find when digging a bit deeper is that the Barog tunnel was called so even before 1899 as an article from the Bombay Gazette on August 14th in 1899 said, and the Construction of the Kalka Simla line didn’t start until Summer of 1900.

“A detailed and final reconnaissance for the Simla-Kalka railway has now been completed by Mr Harrington (the chief engineer)….The proposed alignment will necessitate the construction of three important tunnels, viz. Koti spur…Barogh…and Tara Devi.”

The fact that we don’t even know Colonel Barogs first name as well as there is no mention of his death in a matter that was written so much about in the papers seems suspicious. There is also no mention of him on the project plan. Did he even exist?

Even the help from the Indian diviner is to the engineer that completed the tunnel is not mentioned with a word in the papers throughout the construction. Could they really have missed such a good story, or are most of the stories known around this construction just this? Just stories?