Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train travel is a beautiful experience for one to cherish forever. It started at the beginning of the twentieth century. The train was built for the enjoyment of British Citizens, then the rulers of India, to escape from the heat and humidity of other places.
Through the toy train, they started to travel through the Nilgiri Mountains, enjoying its breathtaking beauty and pleasant weather. Even after the British era, the toy train is continuing the to and fro journey carrying tourists from all over the world still presenting the charm and glory of the Nilgiri Mountains.
The Uniqueness of Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 1000mm meter gauge type of railway that serenely climbs the Nilgiri hill areas, passing through many curves and tunnels providing a unique and wonderful journey experience to all passengers. It is a one-track railway spread between Mettupalayam and Ooty, moving from an elevation of 326 meters to 2203 meters. The normal time required for the journey is five hours.
The travel through Nilgiri Mountain Railway is an opportunity to enjoy the miracles created by engineering techniques. The first leg of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway travel is from Mettupalayam to Coonoor. From there the steam engine will be replaced by the diesel engine and complete the final leg of the journey from Coonoor to Ooty (Udagamandalam). This nostalgic train journey is a must-do thing for many travelers. This is also the sharpest Railway track in Asia with an extreme gradient of 8.33%.
A Fantastic visual treat
Nilgiri mountain rail travel is a wonderful experience. The landscapes along the way are a combination of thick forests, broad rivers, rare types of plants and animals, hills blanketed by mist, various kinds of birds, lovely plains, and narrow valleys. One can experience the glory of the radiant sun and the magnificence of the steep mountains during the journey.
There are 250 bridges, 16 tunnels, and 208 curves for the train to pass through in a 46 km journey from Mettupalayam to Ooty. The ascending journey takes 5 hours. But on return from Ooty to Mettupalayam, the train can finish the journey in three and a half hours.
The scenes are far better on the route of Mettupalayam to Coonoor than from Coonoor to Ooty. Securing a first-class seat is the best way to enjoy the journey to the fullest.
Stops of Nilgiri Mountain Railway
There are four intermediate stations between Mettupalayam and Ooty. They are Kallar, Lovingdale, Wellington, and Coonoor. Another intermediate station Fernhill was no longer a working station.
Train Schedule
The first trip of the day starts at 7.10 am. Embarking on this trip will enable you to marvel at the magnificence of the surroundings of the track filled with several bridges, hairpin turns, tunnels and loops until it reaches the Ooty in the noon. The return trip starts at Ooty at 2 pm and ends at Mettupalayam at 2 pm.
You can reach Mettupalayam from Coimbatore or Chennai by the Blue Mountain Express (12761). It reaches Mettupalayam at 6.15 am and will be in time to connect with the morning schedule of the toy train. A bus trip from Coimbatore also will take you to Mettupalayam.
If you cannot secure tickets from Mettupalayam to Ooty or Ooty to Mettupalayam, try for Coonoor to Ooty and vice versa which has more probability to get. There are four trains traveling every day between Coonoor and Ooty. The first train starts from Coonoor at 7.45 that reaches Ooty at 9.05. The second train is the one starting from Mettupalayam, reaches Coonoor at 10.40 and finishes the journey at Ooty after one hour and twenty minutes. Next trains are respectively from 12.35 and 16.30 and reach Ooty at 13.50 1nd 17.45.
The departure times from Ooty are 9.15, 12.15, 14.00, and 18.00 respectively. Their arrival times at Coonoor are 10.25, 13.20, 15.05, and 19.10.
Advance Ticket Booking
It is not easy to secure an on-the-spot ticket to an NMR journey since the number of travelers is more. In order to avoid this situation, advance ticket booking is possible via the official website of the Indian railway, www.irctc.co.in. If you are a fan of ancient type card tickets, you can try to get a ticket from the station.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) journey is a rare treat to enjoy the brilliance of technology and the wonders of nature at the same time. It is an experience everyone needs to enjoy once in a while to ponder over the gift of life on this beautiful earth and the need to protect its grandeur and splendor.
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