A special train attached to a heritage steam engine ran between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam on Thursday to commemorate the 112th Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) Day, as a special arrangement.
The event marked the anniversary of train service running between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam.
Founder of the Heritage Steam Chariot Trust, K. Natrajan, who organised the event along with the Salem division of the Southern Railway, said that the service was initially started between Mettupalayam and Coonoor and was later extended till Udhagamandalam.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not have a very big event to mark the occasion, so the railways agreed to run an empty train hauled by a steam engine to Udhagamandalam from Coonoor,” said Mr. Natrajan.
Nilgiris District Collector J. Innocent Divya, who attended the event, said that the Nilgiri Mountain Railway was a source of great pride for the district. “The NMR, which is UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a source of great pride for the Nilgiris, and to commemorate the 112th NMR day, a special train was arranged to ply between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam,” said the Collector.
Ms. Divya added that the district administration had given its consent for partial resumption of services along the NMR. However, the decision to restart services was pending with the railways, she said.
“The sight of the steam engine plying again along the NMR line since services were suspended in March of this year will surely bring delight to local residents, and remind everyone of the train service’s importance to the culture and history of the Nilgiris,” said Mr. Natrajan.
