Nilgiri Mountain Railway ~ Ooty Toy Train
The ✅ Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train / Ooty Toy Train is the highlight of a visit to the popular hill station of Ooty, in south India’s Tamil Nadu state. Established in the early 19th century by the British as the summer headquarters of the Chennai government, Ooty now draws tourists wanting to escape the stifling summer heat. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway toy train details including Regular train services, fares, how to book the tickets, new trains, route features, etc are here.
- Time Table of Ooty Toy Train
- Route Features
- Regular Train Services
- Fare Details
- Booking Details
- New Train Details on the Nilgiri Mountain
- Chennai Local Train Time Table 2021
Time Table of Ooty Toy Train
Mettupalayam – Udagamandalam : Special Trains ~ 02.10.2021
Southern Railway announced that in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of India’s Independence, ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is being celebrated throughout the country in a grand manner, coordinated by the Ministry of Culture. Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. To make the commemorative events more customer and citizen centric, an activity has been planned by the Railway Board – to run a Special Train on 02nd October, 2021 in the UNESCO heritage site of Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR).
Accordingly, Train No.06147, a fully reserved ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ Special Train, will be run from Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam (one way), the UNESCO heritage site of NMR section, on 02.10.2021. The timings, seating capacity and fares of the Special Train are as detailed below.
‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ Special Train from Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam on 02.10.2021
Timings of the Special Train
- Train No.06147 Mettupalayam – Udagamandalam ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ Special Train will leave Mettupalayam at 09.10 hrs. on 02.10.2021. Enroute to Udagamandalam, the train will have only one stoppage – at Coonoor. The Special Train will reach Coonoor at 12.30 hrs. Leaving Coonoor at 12.55 hrs., the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ Special Train will reach Udagamandalam at 14.25 hrs. on 02.10.2021.
Seating Capacity
The train will have 4 coaches, offering 72 First Class Seats and 100 Second Class Seats in total.
Fares
- The fares for travel by the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ Special Train are the same as that of the NMR weekly Special Train.
- From Mettupalayam to Coonoor – Rs.1100 in First Class; Rs.800 in Second Class.
- From Mettupalayam to Udagamandalam – Rs.1450 in First Class; Rs.1050 in Second Class.
- From Coonoor to Udagamandalam – Rs.550 in First Class; Rs.450 in Second Class.
- The fares are excluding GST and Reservation Charges.
Reservation
Advance Reservations for travel by ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ Special Train are open.
NMR Services Back on Track ~ 06.09.2021
Nilgiri Mountain Railway service was resumed on Monday after a gap of more than four months. Nilgiri Mountain Railway resumed operations w. e. f. 6th September 2021. The train No.06136, left Mettupalayam Junction at 07.10 am on Monday with 105 passengers. With the capacity of the train being 133 passengers, the occupancy was nearly 80% on the first day. Southern Railway also announced that one full reserved special train will run between Mettupalayam – Udagamandalam and three fully reserved special trains will be operated between Coonoor – Udagamandalam. The railway said that only reserved passengers will be allowed to board the train.
Nigiri Mountain Railway : Cancellation of services with effect from 21.04.2021
Southern Railway announced on 20.04.2021 that in view of the restrictions announced by the State Government with regard to visit to tourist places, all Nilgiri Mountain Railway services will remain cancelled with effect from 21.04.2021 until further advice, as detailed below.
The following NMR services will remain cancelled w.e.f 21.04.2021.
- Train No.06136 Mettupalayam – Udagamandalam Special Train
- Train No.06137 Udagamandalam – Mettupalayam special Train.
- Train No.06138 Coonoor – Udagamandalam special train.
- Train No.06139 Udagamandalam – Coonoor special train.
- Train No.06141 Coonoor – Udagamandalam special train.
- Train No.06140 Udagamandalam – Coonoor special train.
- Train No.06143 Coonoor – Udagamandalam special train.
- Train No.06142 Udagamandalam – Coonoor special train.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway : Resumption of Train Services : 31.12.2020
Southern Railway announced that train services in the entire Mettupalayam – Udagamandalam (Ooty) section of Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) will resume on daily basis with effect from 31st December 2020. Upon resumption, the NMR services will be operated as Fully Reserved Special Trains.
- One pair of the fully reserved special trains will be run between Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam and three pairs of fully reserved special trains will be operated between Coonoor and Udagamandalam.
- All the COVID safety protocols will be strictly followed. Passengers are requested to cooperate with Railways and adhere to COVID appropriate behavior such as wearing face masks and social distancing.
- The same fare structure which was in force in pre-COVID times (prior to suspension of services) will continue.
Detailed schedule and stoppages of fully reserved Special Trains in Mettupalayam – Coonoor – Udagamandalam section (UP Trains)
Detailed schedule and stoppages of fully reserved Special Trains in Mettupalayam – Coonoor – Udagamandalam section (UP Trains)
| Station | T.No.06138 | T.No.06143 | T.No.06141 | T.No.06136 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mettupalayam | — | — | 07:10 (d) | |
| Kallar | – | – | — | |
| Hilligrove | — | — | — | |
| Coonoor | 16:00 (d) | 12:35 (d) | 07:45 (d) | 10:30/ 10:40 |
| Wellington | 16:07/16:08 | 12:42/ 12:43 | 07:52/ 07:53 | — |
| Aravankadu | 16:17/16:18 | 12:52/ 12:53 | 08:04/ 08:05 | 10:59/ 11:00 |
| Ketti | 16:33/16:34 | 13:09/ 13:10 | 08:24/ 08:25 | 11:19/ 11:20 |
| Lovedale | 16:49/16:50 | 13:26/ 13:27 | 08:41/ 08:42 | 11:39/ 11:40 |
| Udagamandalam | 17:10 (a) | 13:45 (a) | 09:00 (a) | 11:55 (a) |
Detailed schedule and stoppages of Fully reserved Special Trains in Udagamandalam– Coonoor – Mettupalayam section (DOWN Trains)
| Station | T.No.06140 | T.No.06137 | T.No.06142 | T.No.06139 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Udagamandalam | 17.30 (d) | 14:00 (d) | 12:15 (d) | 09:15 (d) |
| Lovedale | 17:40/ 17:41 | 14:10/ 14:11 | 12:25/ 12:26 | 09:25/ 09:26 |
| Ketti | 17:52/ 17:53 | 14:24/ 14:25 | 12:37/ 12:38 | 09:38/ 09:39 |
| Aravangadu | 18:06/ 18:07 | 14:37/ 14:38 | 12:52/ 12:53 | 09:54/ 09:55 |
| Wellington | 18:14/ 18:15 | — | 12:59/ 13:00 | 10:01/ 10:02 |
| Coonoor | 18:35 (a) | 15:05/ 15:15 | 13:15 (a) | 10:20 (a) |
| Hilligrove | — | — | — | |
| Kallar | — | — | — | |
| Mettupalayam | 17:30 (a) | — | — |
Route Features
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is 46 kilometers (28.5 miles) long. It passes through many tunnels, and over hundreds of bridges (about 30 of them are large ones). The railway is particularly picturesque because of the surrounding rocky terrain, ravines, tea plantations, and thickly forested hills. Coonoor, with its world famous teas, is a tourist destination in itself. The most spectacular scenery and best views are situated along the stretch from Mettupalayam to Coonoor. Hence, some people prefer to only travel along this part.
How to Reach Mettupalayam
Coimbatore is the closest city to Mettupalayam. It’s located about an hour south and has an airport that receives flights from all over India.
The daily 12671 Nilagiri (Blue Mountain) Express train from Chennai arrives in Mettupalayam at 6.15 a.m. and connects with the toy train’s morning departure. (It also connects with the toy train’s evening arrival in Mettupalayam on the return journey). The Nilagiri Express stops in Coimbatore at 5 a.m. on the way, so it’s possible to take this train from there to Mettupalayam. Alternatively, a taxi will cost about 1,200 rupees ($18).
Frequent buses run from Coimbatore to Mettupalayam, starting from 5 a.m. There are also regular passenger trains between the two places during the day. You’ll find a few decent budget hotels in Mettupalayam if you want to stay there overnight to catch the toy train the next morning. However, better accommodations are available in Coimbatore.
Regular Train Services
Presently, there are 5 train services interconnecting Coimbatore and Mettupalayam that include Blue Mountain (Nilgiri) Express and 4 Passenger trains.
One toy train service operates on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam to Ooty per day. There are seven stations along the route. The timetable is as follows:
- Train No.56136/Mettupalayam-Ooty MG Passenger train leaves Mettupalayam at 7.10 a.m and arrives in Ooty at noon.
- Train No.56137/Ooty-Mettupalayam MG Passenger train leaves Ooty at 2 p.m. and reaches Mettupalayam at 5.35 p.m.
Composition
Both first class and second class seating. The main difference between the two is that first class has cushions and fewer seats. A small number of unreserved tickets is also made available for purchase at the ticket counter before departure. However, they usually sell out within minutes. A fourth carriage was added to the train in 2016, due to rapidly growing demand. The train still books up quickly though, especially in summer.
Fare Details
The adult train fare is 30 rupees ($0.45) in second class and 205 rupees ($3) in first class, one way. The unreserved general fare is 15 rupees ($0.15) one way.
Charter Train Fare over NMR section
Charter train fare over NMR section for one year with effect from 13.11.19.
Booking Details
Reservations for travel on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway can be made at Indian Railways computerized reservation counters or on the Indian Railways website. It’s advisable to book as far ahead as possible, particularly during the peak summer season from April to June, Indian festival season (especially around Diwali vacation), and Christmas. The train fills up months in advance for these times.
New Train Details on the Nilgiri Mountain
Mettupalayam, on the foothills of Nilgiris is the gateway to Nilgiri Mountain Railway. NMR, the UNESCO listed Mountain Railway System gets scores of tourist footfalls from all over the world. Coimbatore Junction, the major railhead near Mettupalayam is well connected by train services from major destinations in South India.
New Train Details on the Nilgiri Mountain are here.
Introduction of MEMU Service between Coimbatore and Mettupalayam (31.01.2020)
To handle the extra rush of passengers travelling to NMR destinations, a new MEMU service will be run between Coimbatore Junction and Mettupalayam from 01.02.2020. The details are mentioned below:
- Train No.66622 Coimbatore – Mettupalayam MEMU service (Daily) will depart from Coimbatore Junction at 20.25 hrs and with Stoppages at Coimbatore North Junction (20.31/20.32), Tudiyalur (20.36/20.37), Periyanayakanpalayam (20.41/20.42), Karaimadai (20.52/20.53) and reach Mettupalayam at 21.15 hrs the same day.
- Train No. 66623 Mettupalayam – Coimbatore MEMU service (Daily) will depart from Mettupalayam at 19.00 hrs and with Stoppages at Karaimadai (19.09/19.10), Perianayakanpalayam (19.19/19.20), Tudiyalur ( 19.24/19.25), Coimbatore North Junction (19.29/19.30) will reach Coimbatore at 19.50 hrs the same day.
Composition : 8 Car MEMU
Railway is always announcing Latest Special trains List 2021 also especially during summer seasons.
