Coimbatore: The Nilgirs Mountain Railway (NMR) train which left from Mettupalayam to Coonoor this morning with about 130 passengers on board came to a grinding halt at the Kallar railway station.
Coimbatore: The Nilgirs Mountain Railway (NMR) train which left from Mettupalayam to Coonoor this morning with about 130 passengers on board came to a grinding halt at the Kallar railway station.
This was reportedly due the engine's low thrust and hence the train was not operational, thereafter. Subsequent repair work was carried out after informing the higher officials of the Railway Department. However, since the repair work required more time, passengers were dropped off at the train station.
Later in the morning, it was announced that the train service between Mettupalayam and Coonoor has been cancelled and a Government bus was arranged by the Railway Department to transport the passengers to Coonoor, leaving the tourists sorely disappointed. They urged railway officials to take necessary steps to prevent such midway disruptions of the NMR service hereon, since a ride on the NMR is a much-awaited event in the lives of those who book well in advance, as an integral part of their holidays in the Nilgiris.
The Nilgiri Moutain Railway (NMR) which connects Mettupalayam to the hill station of Ooty uses the rack and pinion system to climb the steep gradient and is the only railway line in India to use this system. The breathtaking landscape of the NMR route makes tourists from across the country and abroad to book well in advance for one coveted ride on the NMR. 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.