Chandigarh: The deployment of 28 new panoramic coaches on the UNESCO World Heritage Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge railway track has been delayed after inspection by the chief commissioner of railway safety (CCRS) flagged technical defects, forcing Northern Railway to send them back to the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala for repairs.The coaches, which arrived at Kalka yard to upgrade passenger experience on the mountain rail route, failed to meet required standards due to deficiencies in the air-conditioning system’s cooling capacity and other passenger amenities.Five of the 28 coaches have already been transported back to Kapurthala, while the remaining units are being prepared for dispatch via special heavy trucks.Railway sources confirmed that the new rakes will not be pressed into passenger service until RCF rectifies the shortcomings and the coaches successfully pass fresh technical and safety trials.The historic Kalka-Shimla mountain rail line, famous for its tunnels, bridges, and scenic views, attracts thousands of tourists annually. The introduction of the glass-roof panoramic coaches is aimed at boosting heritage tourism while providing modern amenities.The complex road haulage of rail coaches between Kapurthala and Kalka follows a precedent set just days ago, when Northern Railway successfully transported two narrow-gauge locomotives via heavy-duty road trailers over the steep Himalayan terrain.Due to gauge incompatibility with the broad-gauge network connecting Kapurthala to Kalka, railway authorities deployed specialised multi-axle trucks to move the engines by road. The transport operation required meticulous route planning, temporary road clearances, and low-speed transit along the congested highway stretch to navigate sharp mountain bends and low-clearance overbridges safely.The road transit of the locomotives demonstrated the viability of moving heavy rolling stock without disassembling core structural components, serving as the operational blueprint now being utilised to ship the 28 panoramic coaches back to the Rail Coach Factory for technical rectification.