Restoration works hit as landslips continue in Ooty, NMR services hit

COIMBATORE: Fresh landslips on the Coonoor-Mettupalayam National Highway and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) track have further delayed the resumption of road traffic and mountain train services in the Nilgiris.

A massive boulder fell near the Nandagopal Bridge on the highway following heavy rain on Saturday night, triggering another landslip. Earthmovers have been deployed to remove the boulder and clear the debris.

Restoration work is continuing round the clock on the already battered arterial stretch, where a TNSTC bus driver was killed when his vehicle was caught in a landslide a week ago.

Traffic remains suspended on the affected stretch, with vehicles being diverted through the Kotagiri route. Authorities are also removing weakened trees and unstable rocks along the highway to prevent further incidents.

Meanwhile, restoration of the Mettupalayam-Ooty mountain railway track continued for the ninth consecutive day on Sunday, even as fresh landslips between Adderley and Hillgrove stations further hampered the work. Boulders and uprooted trees fell across the tracks, while earth buried sections of the railway line.

In a challenging operation, an excavator was carefully driven across a railway bridge suspended over a deep gorge to reach a landslip-hit stretch and carry out restoration work. A video of the manoeuvre has attracted attention on social media.

With restoration work still under way and continued rainfall posing further challenges, the Salem Division of Southern Railway has extended the cancellation of Mettupalayam-Ooty and Ooty-Mettupalayam mountain train services till November 4.