Coonoor-Runnymede NMR joyride sees 80% occupancy on first day

Udhagamandalam: With about 80% of occupancy, a maiden round-trip joyride between Coonoor and Runnymede on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) was well received by tourists on Monday.
According to tourists, the introduction of the round trip is getting wide approval from visitors. “I was surprised when I came to know about the introduction of the joyride, that too in a train chugged by a steam engine. The heritage mountain train is much sought by tourists,” M Kunal, a tourist from Bengaluru, said
Unlike the joyride train between Ooty and Ketti, which has a diesel engine, the Coonoor- Runnymede train is chugged by an oil-fired steam engine.
Runnymede station, located around stunning natural vegetation, is close to the Kattery Government Botanical Garden, which is situated 500m from the Coonoor-Mettupalayam Main Road.
“Runnymede station has been given a facelift. The joyride is a boost to the NMR section,” K Natarajan, founder trustee of the Heritage Steam Chariot Trust (HSCT), told TOI. The joyride ticket is valid for entry to the Kattery garden. Runnymede station, which once served as a halting station, was closed more than a decade ago due to high expenses incurred in maintaining the station, according to railway officials.
Though the ride is introduced for only five days from Monday, the Salem division of Southern Railway intends to continue it if demand from tourists continues.