Nilgiri Mountain Railway services suspended for second consecutive day due to landslides

UDHANGAMANDALAM: The Nilgiri Mountain Railway services have been suspended for the second consecutive day on Saturday due to multiple landslides and uprooted trees along the tracks between Coonoor and Mettupalayam due to heavy rainfall.

The Salem division of Southern Railway announced that continuous downpours, particularly heavy in and around Coonoor, have triggered rockfalls and mudslides across the alignment.

Track clearance and restoration work is currently underway by railway personnel. Consequently, train services between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam in both directions remain cancelled.

The Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalam (Ooty) train, known as the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), holds vast historical, engineering, tourism and cultural significance.

Beyond tourism, the train has long served as a crucial mode of transport for local plantation workers, school children, and residents living in remote hill settlements across Nilgiris.