Boulders on railway track disrupts Mettupalayam Kallar mountain train service. Passengers travel to Ooty using private rental vehicles.
Coimbatore: Mountain train is available from Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district to Ooty.
Tourists are interested in travelling by train from Mettupalayam to Coonoor as it is powered by cogs. Many people from home and abroad come to travel on this UNESCO-rated mountain train.
It has been raining continuously in various parts of the Nilgiris district for the last several days. It also rained heavily at night. Usually before the train leaves, the railway staff walks along the tracks and inspects the track for any defects.
As usual, the train with 180 passengers on board departed from Mettupalayam railway station at 07.10 am this morning, passing the Kallar railway station. However, the train was unable to reach its destination.
The railway track has boulders. The railway staff attempted to remove the boulders that had fallen on the mountain railway track. All the boulders that fell on the tracks could not be removed by the railway staff as they were all large boulders.
Following this the train service was cancelled and the mountain train was diverted to its source Mettupalayam railway station.
Tourists who had come with their families to enjoy the natural beauty of Ooty with great enthusiasm were greatly disappointed. As a result, the tickets of 180 passengers were fully refunded by the railway administration. However, the tourists travelled to Ooty with their families in private rental vehicles.