Nilgiri Mountain Railway
நீலகிரி மலை இரயில்
One of the Mountain Railways of India, a UNESCO World Heritage site. A toy-sized steam rack train climbs from Mettupalayam up to Ooty.
The railway opened in full in 1908. The 46 km Mettupalayam–Coonoor section uses a rack system, with steam locomotives pushing the trains up the slope. The line crosses 16 tunnels and more than 250 bridges, and the one-way trip takes about 5 hours. The Ooty–Coonoor section is shorter, about 1.5 hours, and you can ride it on a diesel railcar. The line was inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2005. Book tickets in advance through IRCTC. In peak season they can sell out weeks ahead. Seats on the left side have the better views.
Opening hours
Limited daily trains; check IRCTC timetable
Nearby sights
- Ooty Lake
- St. Stephen's Church, Ooty
- Government Rose Garden, Ooty
- Government Botanical Garden, Ooty
- Tea Factory & Tea Museum, Ooty
- Ketti Valley View Point
- Doddabetta Peak
- Pine Forest, Ooty