Nilgiri
Mountain Railway
Type
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Cultural
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ii, iv
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Reference
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Inscription
history
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Inscription
|
1999 (23rd Session)
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Extensions
|
2005; 2008
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The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (நீலகிரி மலை ரயில்) is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India,
built by the British in 1908, and was initially operated by the Madras
Railway. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam
locomotives. NMR comes under the
jurisdiction of the newly formed Salem Division. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to
the World
Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then
became known as "Mountain Railways of India."
After it satisfied the
necessary criteria, thus forcing abandonment of the modernization plans. For
the past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the
section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local
people and tourists have led a demand for steam locos to once again haul this
section.
The meter gauges Nilgiri
Mountain Railway have tracks which are made of 50 lb rails. On the path of the
Nilgiri Mountain Railway there are a total of 250 bridges. While 32 of them are
important and major bridges and 15 are small over the road bridges. Between
Kallar and Ooty the Nilgiri Mountain Railways passes through 16 tunnels and from Mettupalayam to
Udagamandalam, the lapse is dotted with stone ballast and the cushion which
vary from 75 mm to 150 mm.
Journey on the Nilgiri
Mountain Railway cruising through the natural beauty of the Nilgiri Mountains
will mesmerize you throughout your life. The virgin forests and the misty
mountains seems to welcome the travelers to the land of eternal beauty
The famous Hindi song Chaiyya
Chaiyya from the film "Dil
Se" featuring Shahrukh Khan was shot on the roof top of NMR.
Good to Know
- The
train, for obvious safety reasons, averages 10.4 km per hour and is
perhaps the slowest in India.
- Built
in the late 19th century, the track rises at a gradient of 1 in 12 and has
208 curves and 13 tunnels.
- It
leaves Mettupalayam at 7.45 am and reaches Ooty at noon.
Extensive rice fields
surround the 7 km stretch between Mettupalayam and Kallar. Soon after is an
impressive 21km section through truly rocky terrain. The track passes over 26 viaducts
and twist and blends through 13 tunnels. After a steep climb, the train enters
Coonoor, the little hill station known for its tea plantations. From here, the
track is uphill till you reach Fern Hill at a height of 2,218m, the highest
point on the railroad.
Shortly before Ooty, the
line dips downhill. If you enjoy taking pictures, keep your camera ready for a
few shots of the viaduct between Kallar and Adderley. This ride is sure to turn
the most hardened rail critic into an avid fan. You will delight in the
edge-of-the seat twists and turns as the train runs across tall girder bridges,
and over green hills before gently meandering through rolling tea estates. The
exhaust beat of the loco never falters, maintaining a deafening staccato which
can be heard for miles around. Truly a journey to remember.
History
At the height of 2,600m
stands Udhagamandalam (Ooty) The Queen of Hill Stations. The ‘Nilgiris toy
train’ connects Ooty to Mettupalayam, at the foot of the Nilgiris.
The construction of this
line was a big challenge as the terrain is rather tricky. It was in 1854 that
the first plans were drawn to build a mountain railway from Mettupalayam to the
Nilgiri Hills. But it was a good 45 years later in 1899 that the first train
chugged up this track. This railway is widely regarded as a marvel of
engineering. The train itself is a charming blue and cream with wooden coaches
and large windows. It is hauled up hills by stream engines, designed and built
by the Swiss Locomotive Works. Twelve of such locomotive engines survive even
today.
It was operated first by
the Madras Railway under an agreement with the Government. The Madras Railway
Company continued to manage this railway line on behalf of the government for a
long time until the South Indian Railway company purchased it. The line was
extended to Ootacamund from Coonoor sometime in 1908 on the same gauge over a
distance of 11 and 3/4 miles at a cost of Rs. 24, 40,000.
The steepest gradient on
this line is 1 in 23 and there is no rack on it as provided between Coonoor and
Mettupalayam. The Railway line from Mettupalayam to Ooty is 45.88 km. long and
lies partly in Coimbatore District and partly in Nilgiri District of Tamilnadu,
on the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats. Mettupalayam is at the foothills
with an elevation of about 330 meters and Udagamandalam (Ooty) on the plateau
with an elevation of 2200 metres. The average gradient of this line is about 1
in 24.5.
The gauge is laid to Meter
gauge (1000 mm). The sharpest curve on the section is 17.5 degrees.
The track is made of 50 lb rails. There are 250 bridges on the section, out of
which 32 are major ones and 15 are road over bridges.
There are 16 tunnels
between Kallar and Ooty all of which are in excellent condition.
The section from Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam is provided with stone ballast and the cushion varies from 75 mm to 150 mm.
The section from Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam is provided with stone ballast and the cushion varies from 75 mm to 150 mm.
The Maximum permissible
speed on Mettupalayam-Kallar and Coonoor-Udagamandalam "Non-Rack"
system is 30 while between Kallar and Coonoor "RACK" section the
maximum permissible speed is 13 Kmph. The region covered by the Nilgiri
Mountain Railway gets rainfall during the south-west and north-east monsoons.
The average rainfall is of the order of 1250 mm at Udagamandalam, 1400 mm at
Coonoor and 500 mm at Mettupalayam. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway keeps chugging
despite the downpour.
The train covers the 46 km
to Udhagamandalam in four and a half hours. There are five stations between
Mettupalayam and Coonoor - Kallar, Adderley, Hill Grove, Runnymede and Kateri –
and, at one time, there were five between Coonoor and Ooty too. Through
Wellington, Aruvankadu, Ketti, and Lovedale are still functional, Fern Hills,
the last one, was closed down a few years ago.
Operation
The NMR track is 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge and the railway is isolated from other metre
gauge lines. Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor,
the line uses the Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient. On this rack
section trains are operated by 'X' Class steam rack locomotives manufactured by the Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland.
These steam locomotives can
be used on any part of the line (either with or without the rack section), but
the newer diesel locomotives can operate on the entire section, between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam.
This signals the beginning of the process to phase out the coal-fired vintage
Swiss engines that took scores of passengers on the rack and pinion track to
Coonoor and Udhagamandalam, covering 41.8 km, 108 curves, 16 tunnels and
250 bridges Hence, the Southern Railway decided to replace the coal-fired
locomotives. The work was entrusted to Golden Rock Workshop of Southern Railway
at Thiruchirappalli. Each of the new engines weighs a little over 50 tonnes and
cost Rs.10 Crores.
The new engine has been
provided with pilot and primary burners with separate tanks to hold about 850
litres of diesel and 2,250 litres of furnace oil. The hauling capacity of this
new engine is 97.6 tonnes and it can run at a speed of 30 km an hour in
plains and at 15 km an hour on a gradient.
Officials hoped to put the
engine to use by Sunday on the Mettupalayam–Coonoor section. The arrival of the
new engines raises hopes of eliminating the disruption in service that occurred
frequently over the last two years.
For long, the X Class locomotives
manufactured by Swiss Locomotive and Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland
lent that distinct charm to NMR. These locomotives are six to eight decades old.
The steam locomotives are always marshalled at the downhill (Mettupalayam) end
of the train. The average gradient in this rack section is 1 in 24.5 (4.08%),
with a maximum of 1 in 12 (8.33%).
Between Coonoor and
Udagamandalam the train is operated by an YDM4 diesel locomotive using conventional rail adhesion principles. On this section the locomotive is always
at the Coonoor end of the train as although the line is not steep enough to
need a rack rail, the ruling gradient out of Coonoor is still very steep at 1
in 25 (4%).
As of 2007, there is one
train a day over the rack section, which starts from Mettupalayam at 07:10 and
reaches Ooty at noon. The return train starts from Ooty at 14:00, and reaches
Mettupalayam at 17:35. The train is scheduled to connect to the Nilgiri
Express, which travels from Mettupalayam to Chennai via Coimbatore. A summer
special service is also run during the months of April and May, starting from
Mettupalayam at 09:30 AM and from Ooty at 12:15 PM. between Coonoor and
Udagamandalam, there are four daily trains each way.
Even though the NMR
stations have networked computerized ticketing systems for onward journeys, it
still issues Edmondson style manual tickets for the Ooty-Mettupalayam journey to preserve the
'World Heritage Site' status of the railway. However, ticket booking is similar
to other conventional trains and can also be done via the Indian Railways'
website. It is advisable to book tickets for this railway well
in advance, especially during peak season.
The majority of repairs to
the locomotives are carried out at the Coonoor shed but many of the steam
locomotives have been rebuilt at the Golden Rock Workshops. Carriages are
repaired at Mettupalayam but, like the locomotives, are taken to one of the big
railway workshops for major work. Due to its popularity, a number of passengers
using the NMR have requested that the Southern Railways convert the section
from Coonoor to Udagamandalam to steam locomotive, extending the present steam
traction between Mettupalayam and Coonoor.
The
route
Ø Mettupalayam
(Coimbatore) – 0 Km
Ø Kallar
– 8 Km
Ø Adderley
– 13 Km
Ø Hillgrove
– 18 Km
Ø Runneymede
– 21 Km
Ø Kateri
Road – 25 Km
Ø Coonoor – 28 Km
Ø Wellington
– 29 Km
Ø Aruvankadu – 32 km
Ø Ketti
– 38 Km
Ø Lovedale – 42 Km
Ø Ooty
– 46 Km
The 'Nilgiri Passenger' train
covers a distance of 26 mi (41.8 km), travels
through 208 curves, 16 tunnels, and 250 bridges. 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%.
Mettupalayam Station
Mettupalayam(Coimbatore) - 0 km
(0 mi), 1,069 ft (325.8 m) above sea level - Junction with the 5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) (Indian
Gauge) line from Coimbatore city railway station.
Passengers cross the platform to board the Nilgiri Passenger train (NMR). There
is a small locomotive shed here and also the carriage workshops for the line.
Leaving Mettupalayam, the
line is adhesion worked and actually drops for a short distance before crossing
the Bhavani
River, after which it starts to climb gently.
Kallar Station
Kallar - 8 km
(5 mi), 1,260 ft (384 m) - Closed as a passenger station, this
is where the rack rail begins. As the train leaves the station, the gradient is
1 in 12 (8.33%).
Adderley Station
Adderley - 13 km (8.1 mi),
2,390 ft (728.5 m) - Closed as a passenger station but is still a water
stop.
Hillgrove Station
Hillgrove - 18 km
(11.2 mi), 3,580 ft (1,091.2 m) - Block post and water stop, also has refreshments for passengers.
Runneymede Station
Runneymede - 21 km
(13 mi), 4,612 ft (1,405.7 m) - Closed as a passenger station
but is still a water stop.
Kateri Road Station
Kateri Road - 25 km
(15.5 mi), 5,070 ft (1,545.3 m) - Closed as a passenger station,
trains do not stop here.
Coonoor Station
Coonoor - 28 km (17.4 mi), 5,616 ft
(1,711.8 m) - main intermediate station on the line at site of the
locomotive workshops as well as the top end of the rack rail. Trains must
reverse a short distance before continuing their climb to Ooty. It is normal
for the locomotive to be changed here with diesel traction, being normal for
all trains to Ooty.
Wellington Station
Aruvankadu Station
Ketti Station
Lovedale Station
From a short distance
before Lovedale, the line descends into Ooty.
Udhagamandalam Station
Contact
Details
Regional Director, IRCTC
Ltd. South Zone
6A, The Rain Tree Place,
#9, Mc Nichols Rd., Chetpet,
Chennai-600031
Tel: +91 – 44 – 28363726 /
27
Fax: +91 – 44 – 28363453
Featuring
in Films
In the UK, the BBC made a
series of three documentaries dealing with Indian Hill Railways, with the NMR
being featured in the second programme shown in February 2010. (The first film
covers the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway and the third the Kalka-Shimla Railway.) The films were directed
by Tarun Bhartiya, Hugo Smith and Nick Mattingly, and produced by Gerry Troyna.
The series won the UK Royal Television Society Award in June 2010.
Coonoor station was one of
two used as locations in David Lean's film A Passage to India. You can also see Coonoor
station and its heritage locomotive in many of the Indian films. Wellington
station always finds a place in most of the films casting the Indian army or
army training storyline mainly due to the MRC Indian Army Regiment, Defense
Services Staff College, the Cantonment and the Cordite Factory. Ketti station
was used as the location in a Malayalam film Summer in
Bethlehem Lovedale station is very
picturesque and has featured in many popular films including the famous Tamil
hit, Moonram Pirai. Ooty station has featured in many of the Tamil and other
South Indian language films. It is also prominently featured in some of the
Bollywood films.
Traveller
Experience
Technically Ooty has a railway
station. But the railway line to Ooty belongs to the mountain rail league. Means, the
regular trains do not operate in this route. The Mountain Railway line to Ooty spans from Ooty
to Mettupalayam (Mettupalayam / MTP), a town on the way to Coimbatore from
Ooty. This mountain railway is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.
Now we are left with two
choices as far as the train connections to Ooty. That is Mettupalayam (MTP) and
Coimbatore (CBE). Again between the two, Coimbatore is well connected by long
distance express trains. In fact there is only one express train that extends
to Mettupalayam, which is the Chennai to Mettupalayam Nilgiri Express (also
called the Blue Mountain Express).
From Mettupalayam you can
catch that famous Mettupalayam – Ooty mountain train (the Nilgiri Mountain Railway)
portrayed in the Bollywood movie Dil Se (Shahrukh & Co dance on this train
in the song ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya….’). This is a painstakingly slow train (that’s
the whole idea of a mountain train!) winds through the scenic Blue Mountain
terrain. The train leaves Mettupalayam by 7.10 in the morning. In fact this is
a connection train for Ooty for the Blue Mountain Express from Chennai. So it
waits for the Ooty bound passengers coming by that train.
Be aware that the
Mettupalayam – Ooty train is generally crowded, especially during the holiday
seasons. Also there is only one train in this route, though they may operate
one more during the peak season. And to top it all, it is a tiny train with
limited accommodations.
Now if catching the longer
Mettupalayam – Ooty train is not a possibility, explore if you can catch one of
the many trains from Coonoor to Ooty. Coonoor is a town midway between
Mettupalayam and Ooty, with many train services daily to Ooty. This is your
best (and also a more practical) chance to enjoy the Nilgiri mountain train
journey. If you are coming via Coimbatore, catch a bus to Coonoor. It takes
about 90 minutes by bus to Coonoor from Coimbatore.
There are three trains from
Coonoor to Ooty (7.45 AM; 1.30 PM; 4.30 PM). Similarly from Ooty also there are
three trains to Coonoor (9.15 AM; 12.15 PM; 6 PM). Also there is another from
Ooty to Mettupalayam at 3PM which is aimed at passenger for the Chennai bound
Blue Mountain Express from Mettupalayam.
The schedule & routes
could change with time. Please check with the railways website for the current
and accurate details. Along the railway route, there is an (almost) parallel
road connection from Mettupalayam and Ooty. You can always hop on a bus to
catch the train from any of the subsequent stations. That is if you’ve just
missed a train! The mountain trains are incredibly slow anyway. Typically
people travel by the mountain train in one way and for the return journey they
catch a bus.
As mentioned earlier, the
distance between Mettupalayam and Ooty is 45 km (28 miles). But the mountain
train takes an incredible 5 hours to cover this distance. That is the uphill Mettupalayam
– Ooty journey. That is because the train has to negotiate more than 200
curves, 250 bridges (including about 30 viaducts) and 16 tunnels before it
arrives Ooty. The return journey is relatively fast as it takes only about 3
hours 30 minutes, thanks to the downhill path.
The local bus cover the
same distance in just under 2 hours. So you got the point why people prefer
this train only for one way of their journey. Similarly Ooty to Coonoor the
distance is about 17km (11 miles). It is a more practical (in terms of travel
time and train schedule) way to experience the mountain train.
The steepest climb is in
the stretch between Kallar and Coonoor, which is about 20 km (12 miles) of the
journey. The viaduct crossing between Kallar and is breathtaking and
photogenic. Though not very steep, the route till Fern Hill from Coonoor is
uphill. And from there it is a gentle downhill slop to the final station, which
is Ooty. The railway station is right in the heart of the town.
If you have the luxury of
selecting a seat, try to get a seat by the left side as the train heads to
Ooty. This side offers gorgeous view of the valley as the train climbs. The right
side is against the wall of the hill, liming your view outside. Be aware that
the engine is attached at the rear & front of the train based on the up or
down journey. So don’t get fooled in deciding the direction of journey when the
train is at waiting at the platform. Though a bit expensive, the first class is
less crowed that the much cheaper second class.
Thanks to the UNESCO World
Heritage Site status, things are maintained in the traditional
fashion as it were. The tickets issued at the stations are the old card type
rather than the computer printed ones. So is the way the stations are
maintained. The whole system still holds the legacy of the bygone era. You can
see the railways gang men walking along the track, doing the track inspections
and display their ID to the guard as the train passes.
The most exotic thing is
the steam engine and the track itself. This is one the few rack & pinion
type rail track left in the word. The engine as it is the 19th century vintage.
The engine uses a cogwheel (teethed wheel) on a rail with mating teeth in the
center of the track to climb the steep uphill. The track in the Mettupalayam –
Coonoor section is in fact a three track rail, the center one being the teethed
track. The engine driver lowers the rack mechanism as the train approaches the
three tracks and disengages it as it leaves.
The engine is always
connected at the Mettupalayam end of the train. And the coaches are pushed up
all the way to Ooty in its 5 hour journey. The driver cannot see the track
ahead as the engine is in the rear. On the edge of each carriage stand the
signal guards. Practically only the guard in the front can see the track ahead,
as the route is riddled with 200 plus curves in its 45km length. The first
guard passes the signal to the second, and then to the third and so on. Finally
the engine driver gets the cue that drives the engine without really seeing the
track ahead. Well, it has been going on like this for more than a hundred
years.
The 5 hour journey to cover
a distance of 45 km (28 miles) may look silly in the modern times. But it was a
thrilling innovation at that point in time. It took nearly 10 days to cover
this distance through the thickest of the Nilgiri forests with all its
wildness. And with the invent of Nilgiri Mountain Railways, that adventure
turned out into a half a day pleasure journey.
Nilgiri Mountain Railways (NMR)
has only 8 steam run rack locomotive engines. That may look like a small number
in railway operations. But this fleet is the worlds’ largest surviving railway
fleet that uses coal powered steam rack engines.
It almost gives you a feel
that you’ve arrived at 19th century, when you arrive at Coonoor. A sprawling
railway dock full of vintage steam locos hissing with steam and smoke from all
over. The sooth and coal strewn yard adds to the character. Engines chug past
back and forth. Another engine at the corner if getting a water refill. It
appears as a busy colonial era railway station. This is Coonoor, the
headquarters of Nilgiri Mountain Railways. The only odd man out here it seems
the mobile phone in your hand when it chides for that unwanted attention.
What about advanced seat
reservation options in Nilgiri Mountain Railway?
If you are so particular
that you need a seat in this train, reserve it in advance. The reservations can
be done the same way you do it for any other regular trains in Indian railways.
That is through the IRCTC website or from the railway reservation counters.
But there is one problem, a
big problem. The seats get over booked well in advance. And if it happens to be
the season, the seats are over booked soon the reservation period opens.
The main reason for this
phenomena is there are only very few seats and the demand is far more. Imagine
there are only some 100 seats for the Second Class and a dozen or so for the
First Class. The demand easily exceeds many folds the available seats.
Typically up to three
months in advance (90 days) you can reserve a seat. In any case check for the
latest reservation policy for the Indian Railways.
In any case there is no
choice but to try your luck and book a seat on the available day. The IRCTC
website comes handy in both searching for accommodation availability and also
for booking online.
While on the subject of
seat reservation, the most curious aspect is the fare. Can you guess how much a
second class ticket cost from Mettupalayam to Ooty, a 46km journey covered in 5
hours? Just 8 rupees. Yes eight rupees.
For those who cannot
visualize the rupee value, 8 rupee is just 0.16 USD or 0.11 GBP. That is the
standard Second Class fare for any passenger class trains in India, leave alone
weather it is a UNESCO World Heritage listed or not.
This must be the longest (at
least in terms of travel time) rail journey in the world one can opt for at Rs 8.
Of course we are not competing with those tickets less travelers in the long
distance trains.
Back to the ticket rates
again. If you are reserving the Second Class ticket the fare is Rs 23 (just
under 1/2 USD). That is because the standard reservation fees (Rs15) is added
to the base fare of Rs 8. It looks funny; the reservation fee is more than the
ticket charge. Remember, this is Indian Railways, the rules are applied.
The First Class ticket is
relatively expensive at Rs117. If you are reserving, add another Rs25 as
reservation fee. In other words a reserved First Class ticket cost Rs142 (just
under 3 USD or 2 EURO).
Now let us see the train
details. That is the train number you need to provide for the reservation.
Train No: 662 – Mettupalayam
to Ooty passenger train.
Train No. 661– Ooty to
Mettupalayam passenger train.
In the Indian Railways’ language
the names are spelt a bit differently. So if you are searching the Indian
railways website for a train to Ooty, it is unlikely that you would find one.
Ooty is the anglicized name of Udagamandalam. The puzzle is easily solved if
you use the same names (or station codes) the railways uses. A list is given
below.
Udagamandalam (UAM) ;
Lovedale (LOV) ; Ketti (KXT) ; Aruvankadu (AVK) ; Wellington (WEL) ; Coonoor (ONR)
; Hilligrove (HLG) ; Mettupalayam (MTP) .
The most popular connection
pair of trains are the Chennai – Mettupalayam Nilgiri Express (Train No: 2671)
and the No: 662 Mettupalayam – Ooty passenger described above.
The Nilgiri Express leaves
Chennai central at 9.00 in the night and reaches Mettupalayam at 6.15 in the
morning. In another one hour time, that is by 7.10 AM the Mettupalayam – Ooty
passenger (Train No. 662) leaves for Ooty.
Similarly the return Ooty –
Mettupalayam passenger (Train No: 661) leaves Ooty by 3.00 PM are arrives
Mettupalayam by 6.35 PM. For the onward journey catch the Nilgiri Express
(Train No: 2672) for Chennai that leaves Mettupalayam by 7.45 PM. This will Chennai
central by 5.10 the next day morning.
The Route of Nilgiri
Express: Mettupalayam (MTP) – Coimbatore Jn (CBE) – Tiruppur (TUP) – Erode Jn
(ED) – Salem Jn (SA) – Katpadi Jn (KPD) – Arakkonam (AJJ) – Perambur (PER) –
Chennai Central (MAS).
Don’t get confused by the
train names Nilgiri Express and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
Nilgiri Express (2671 &
2672) is a pair of regular express trains connecting Chennai with Mettupalayam.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway essentially refers to the passenger trains (also the
whole systems associated with it) that operate between Mettupalayam and Ooty.
Information on Nilgiris Mountain
railway Timings
Please refer: http://www.indianrail.gov.in/ooty.html
