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Friday, March 27, 2009

Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Mettupalaiyam - Ooty - It was in 1854, that the first plans were made to build a mountain
Railway from Mettupalaiyam to the Nilgiri Hills. But it took the decision-makers 45 years to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and complete the construction and installation of the line.

The line was completed and opened for traffic in June 1899. It was operated first by the Madras Railway under an agreement with the Government.

The Madras Railway Company continued to manage this railway line on behalf of the government for a long time until the South Indian Railway company purchased it. The line was extended to Ootacamund from Coonoor some time in 1908 on the same gauge over a distance of 11 and 3/4 miles at a cost of Rs. 24,40,000.

The steepest gradient on this line is 1 in 23 and there is no rack on it as provided between Coonoor and Mettupalaiyam.

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