Nilgiri Mountain Railways, Tamil Nadu


The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) is a 1,000 mm meter-gauge railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908. The railway is operated by the Southern Railway and is the only rack railway in India. Here are a few important and must-know pieces of information-

Map



How to reach there


The train starts from Mettupalayam and stops at 11 stations before reaching Udhagamandalam. The uphill journey takes around 290 minutes (4.8 hours), and the downhill journey takes 215 minutes (3.6 hours). It has the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%. Ticket booking is similar to conventional trains and can be done via the Indian Railway website.


History


In 1854, plans were made to build a mountain railway from Mettupalayam to the Nilgiri Hills. However, it took the decision-makers 45 years to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and complete the construction. The line was completed and opened for traffic on June 1899. It was operated first by the Madras Railway under an agreement with the government.

The Madras Railway Company continued to manage the railway line on behalf of the government for a long time until the South Indian Railway company purchased it. Initially, Coonoor was the final station on the line. In September 1908, the line was extended to Fernhill. By October 15, 1908, it was extended to Udagmandalam. These extensions from Coonoor on the same gauge over a distance of 11 3⁄4 miles (18.91 km) were done.



Pros

  • Ticket- To preserve its 'World Heritage Site' status, it still issues Edmondson style manual tickets for the Udhagamandalam-Mettupalayam journey.
  • Maintenance- The Southern Railway performs the day-to-day maintenance and management, but several programs, divisions, and departments of the Indian Railways are responsible for operating, maintaining and repairing the Nilgiri Mountain Railways.
  • Only Rack Track in India- Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, the line uses the Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient. Nilgiri Mountain Railways is the only rack railway in India.
  • Different locomotives- The steam locomotives can be used on any part of the line, while the diesel locomotives can operate only on the section between Coonoor and Udagamandalam. 

Cons

  • More Time- The upward journey takes around 5 hours for 46kms.


Nirvana Travel Tips

  • Carry food items- Although the train stops in every 30- 40mins and once can find few or more shops in the stop, it is advisable to carry food along with you.
  • Sit on the left side- Though it is pure luck, but try to secure a seat on the left side to capture some of the breathtaking views.


That's all for this post. If you would like to visit this destination one day and have any queries, feel free to jot them down in the comment section. If you have already visited this place and want to add some more useful information, comment down below and make traveling more awesome for others!

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See you next week!

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