If you were planning to take a trip to the Nilgiris region now, you will have to reschedule. Several trains operating on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) have been discontinued by Indian Railways. The decision was made in response to the century-old rail route being impacted by excessive rainfall and landslides. Several trees have fallen on the NMR track between Kallar and Coonoor as a result of the bad weather.
The work for track restoration is underway at the moment. Right now, rail traffic has been halted until November 16, 2023. The zonal railway said in a statement, "Passengers of the cancelled train services will be given a full refund of the ticket fare." Southern Railway (SR) has administrative control over the NMR. If you have booked tickets on the route. you will get a full refund.
The Trains That Have Been Cancelled
Here is the list of trains cancelled over Nilgiri Mountain Railway:
Train number 06136 Mettupalayam-Udagamandalam Passenger Special scheduled to leave Mettupalayam at 07:10 hrs
Train number 06137 Udagamandalam-Mettupalayam Passenger Special scheduled to leave Udagamandalam at 14:00 hrs
Train number 06141 Coonoor-Udagamandalam Passenger train leaving Coonoor at 07:45 hrs
Train number 06143 Coonoor-Udagamandalam Passenger train leaving Coonoor at 12:35 hrs
Train number 06138 Coonoor-Udagamandalam Passenger train leaving Coonoor at 16:00 hrs
Train number 06139 Udagamandalam-Coonoor Passenger train leaving Udagamandalam at 09:15 hrs
Train number 06142 Udagamandalam-Coonoor Passenger train leaving Udagamandalam at 12:15 hrs
Train number 06140 Udagamandalam-Coonoor Passenger train leaving Udagamandalam at 17:30 hrs
About The Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway takes you through the hills at a leisurely pace and breathtaking scenery. It has a gentle crawl up the hills, wherein you travel at a leisurely pace of about nine kilometres per hour, covering a distance of around 46 kilometres. Launched in 1882 and connecting Mettupalayam and Ooty/ Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris, the NMR takes you deep into the blue mountains, stopping at quaint hill towns along the way such as Kallar, Lovingdale, Wellington, and Coonoor.
Try to book a First Class ticket as it is more spacious. The train starts from Metupalaiyam (MTP) at 07.10 am and reaches Udagamandalam (Ooty-UAM) at 12 noon. You can book the tickets on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. or IRCTC website. You can also book tickets at the ticket counter at the stations. Also, check out the small rail museum near the train’s starting point at Mettupalayam. The collection here includes original photographs, artefacts and some of the oldest locomotives that plied the route.
The Toy Trains Of India
There are various "toy trains" in India that are heritage railways. The Mountain Railways of India, which include three excellent rail routes in the country, provide an unrivalled experience of train rides. Because of their historic value and iconic infrastructure, these railways were designated as Unesco World Heritage sites. With severe turns and steep elevation, these trains can potentially deliver a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Apart from the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, there is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West Bengal, which started operating in 1881. The toy train runs 88 km between the destinations, with the highest elevation of 2300m at Ghoom station.
The Kalka-Shimla Railway chugs through the foothills of the Himalayan range, the narrow gauge rail line starts its six-hour journey from Kalka and finishes at Shimla.
