Nilgiri Mountain Railway Ride in Coonoor

Hop on a train with a lavish interior and enjoy the view, from the window pane, of clouds swirling around forested hills. It’s a soul-stirring ride as the train makes its way through the Shola forests, tea estates, and walls of Pine trees. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway route is about 45 kilometres long with 13 stations. It’s a nostalgia-dipped train ride which is enjoyed by thousands of honeymooners and families at a negligible cost.

Also known as toy train ride, Nilgiri Mountain Railway runs between Mettupalayam Station and Ooty Station. The train ride, which climbs nearly 1900 metres along its route, has the steepest track in Asia. From Mettupalayam Junction to Coonoor station, the NMR runs on an Abt rack and pinion system to climb the steep track. Today, it’s the only functional rack railway in India. While the uphill journey from Mettupalayam to Ooty via Coonoor takes about 4 hours and 50 minutes, the downhill journey on the same route is covered in about 3 hours 40 minutes.

Still painted in its original colours of blue and yellow, Nilgiri Mountain Railway features sports bench-seats and there are no glass windows or curtains in the coaches to provide an uninterrupted view of mist-clad hills and lush grasslands. In July 2005, UNESCO declared Nilgiri Mountain Railway as a World Heritage Site. Kangra-Shimla Railway, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, and NMR comprise the site known as the Mountain Railways of India.  

Taking a train ride from Ooty to Coonoor or vice versa is a popular thing to do for tourists in Tamil Nadu.