Kalka to Shimla by road

There were multiple reasons for building this road - possible trade ties with Tibet, strategic cum defence reasons, connectivity to hill stations.

In the new national highway numbering, Kalka-Shimla road is part of NH-5.  “The highway connecting Firozepur, Moga, Jagraon, Ludhiana, Kharar in the State of Punjab, Chandigarh, Kalka in Haryana, Solan, Shimla, Theog, Narkanda, Rampur, Chini and proceeding to the Border between India and Tibet near Shipkila in the State of Himachal Pradesh.” This is the definition of NH-5. If you have travelled to Shimla and are not attached to the toy train (and now airlines), you will have done this 90 km stretch by road. After the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16 and the Sugauli Treaty, Shimla passed to the East