The Nilgiri Mountain Railway completes 125 years

We are at Mettupalayam Railway Station at the crack of dawn, excited for the adventurous train ride ahead, which covers 16 tunnels, over 200 steep curves, and 257 bridges. It has been 125 years since the Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR), fondly called the Ooty toy train of the Nilgiris Railway Company, first chugged up the hills on June 15, 1899.

“A ride on the NMR is an experience,” says K Natrajan, a heritage enthusiast and founder of the Heritage Steam Chariot Trust. He adds that it is not just a mode of transportation, but a throwback to a time when life was slower and travel was about the joy of the journey itself. “As the rhythmic chugging, hissing, and whistle blowing echoes across the valley, one can sit back and soak up the sights of lush greenery, bursts of colourful blooms, and cloud-kissed mountains punctuated by the chirping of birds. The smell of steam from the engine adds to the drama,” describes Natrajan.

K Natrajan of Heritage Steam Chariot trust with a silver miniature of the NMR
| Photo Credit:
SATHYAMOORTHY M

As the train passes through several quaint towns like Adderly, Runnymede, Ketti, and Lovedale, passengers have their faces and phones glued to the windows.

“It’s a proud moment for me to travel in this heritage train that has completed 125 years,” says 53-year-old Vikram Nagaraj from Chennai, recalling a ‘roller coaster ride’ on the train during his youth. “We were a bunch of 20 boys from Guru Nanak College who played pranks along the way, only to be reined in by our stern teacher. Later, I came with my wife on our honeymoon. The journey is a good way to connect with Nature and live in the moment. It detoxes your mind from the hustle and bustle of urban life. We can go back feeling refreshed.”

His brother, Venkatesh Bashyam from the US, has joined him on this trip up the slopes. “We hopped on to the toy train to relive the experience. Though it is tough to get a spot, we got our tickets. Just look out of the window and you have amazing views greeting you, what more do you need,” asks Venkatesh before humming a few lines of ‘Kadhalin Dheepam Ondru…’, a classic Rajinikanth song shot in the Nilgiris. Another iconic song is actor Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Chaiyya chaiyya’ shot atop the moving train through scenic tea plantations and tunnels.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway at Runnymede station
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Besides the quasquicentennial milestone, of the train’s journey, July 15 is the start of the 20th year of the train ride enjoying the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site status. “Undoubtedly, the NMR is the most coveted legacy of the British. It is a lifeline, an integral part of our lives,” says Radhakrishnan Dharmalingam, a journalist from Udhagamandalam who has covered the Nilgiris for decades.

While there was a threat of dismantling the NMR in the 1960s (as it was considered uneconomical), the heritage status fortified its continuance. “Now I can be sure my son and grandson will get to enjoy a ride,” says Radhakrishnan adding that a co-ordinated effort between the Railways, district administration, and the State Government, is needed to preserve the old world charm of the train, especially the blue-and-cream wooden carriages.

“The NMR is an outstanding example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1899, it was a bold and ingenious engineering initiative to establish a rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty. The engineering marvel stands testimony to the skills of Railway Engineering,” says Sathesh Saravanan, Senior Mechanical Engineer and Director of NMR. He adds that specially designed X Class steam locomotives haul the train between Mettupalayam and Coonoor. Though originally, these locomotives were imported from Switzerland, now they are manufactured at Golden Rock Workshop, Tiruchi. The NMR has retained much of its original components — stations, semaphore signal systems, locomotives, rolling stock — making it a rare system of heritage value that is still operational.

The NMR at Kattery Bridge near Coonoor.
| Photo Credit:
SATHYAMOORTHY M

Two museums — the NMR museum at Mettupalayam and a heritage museum at Udhagamandalam give a peek into the history of NMR. “The NMR is also India’s only rack and pinion railway. A fleet of 27 coaches are available for running passenger train services on the NMR,” adds Sathesh.

Radhakrishnan adds that during the rainy season there is the fear of boulders rolling down from the hills and blocking the railway track. “This is an outcome of disturbances to the ecology with unplanned constructions. One has to look deeply into these safety aspects in the future.” He fondly recalls that every NMR ride is straight out a dream, he says there is a disconnect among the younger generation that treats it like yet another train ride. “ There is more to it. They should be made aware of the illustrious history,” he says.

Chugging by

It was in 1854, that the first plans were made to build a mountain railway line from Mettupalayam to the Nilgiris. “When the Madras – Coimbatore – Mettupalayam section opened in 1873, the district engineer of The Nilgiris, JLL Morant began to explore the possibility of railway line to ascend the mountains,” explains Sathesh. In 1876, Niklaus Riggenbach, a Swiss engineer and inventor of the Rigi system of mountain railways, offered to construct this line. But his proposition was turned down due to financial considerations. In 1877, an alternative project was proposed by the Duke of Buckingham, which again fell through as pulling passengers up such a steep incline, was considered hazardous.

Specially designed X Class steam locomotives haul the train between Mettupalayam and Coonoor
| Photo Credit:
SATHYAMOORTHY M

Eventually, the Nilgiri Railway Company constructed the railway between from 1886 and 1899. In January 1903, it was purchased by the government and construction between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam was completed in 1908. “I booked my tickets three months in advance for the vacation,” says V T Mohammed Sameer from Malappuram, Kerala. “I work abroad and this is my first NMR experience. We are a 20-member group of which only 15 of us were lucky to get confirmed tickets. The others had to drive to Ooty,” he says, smiling. K S Chandini, a software engineer, is another happy passenger from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh. “The views will stay in my mind forever,” she says. As the train chugs past misty hills, Mohammed Ali VE, 80, from Tiruchi, a regular on NMR, is all smiles. He says, “This train’s joy ride should continue for 200 years. The next generation should relive the magic.”