Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu, India was built by the British and the Madras Railway operated it initially. This is the most treasured charm of Nilgiris, the steepest rail system in Asia. In 2005, Nilgiri Mountain Railway was declared by UNESCO as the World Heritage Site.
A very interesting thing of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is that this is the youngest X class loco and is 80 years old. This is a charming Toy train taking its travelers to the Nilgiri Mountain. It weaves through forests, into the dark winding tunnels, along the valleys, up the gradients, round the bends, through trees, birds and the glens.
Ooty, Udhagamandalam is at a height of 2600 m is known as the Queen of Hill Stations. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway connects Ooty to Mettupalayam, the Nilgiris foot. This railway line construction was initially a big challenge as it was a tricky terrain. The plans were first drawn in 1854 and it took 45 years to listen to the first train chugging up this track in 1899. This railway is a marvel of engineering that had large windows and wooden coaches. It was built and designed by the Swiss Locomotive Works and even today twelve such locomotive engines exist and survive.
The Niligiri Mountain Railway covers 46 km in four and a half hours crossing five stations in between Mettupalayam and Coonoor and again five stations between Coonoor and Ooty. This is definitely the slowest train averaging to only 10.4 km per hour. The track of 46 kilometers passes through 250 bridges and 16 tunnels. This is a picturesque terrain meandering through forested hill, rocky terrain, tea plantations and ravines.
There is only one train daily leaving from Metupalayam at 7.10am reaching Ooty at noon and one leaves Ooty at 2pm reaching Metupalayam at 5.35 pm. Additional services run during April to June, peak seasons. Booking 2-3 months in advance during peak season is recommended
