The Salem Railway Division plans to partially resume train services on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) route soon, and is awaiting permission from the Nilgiris District Collector.
After remaining closed to tourists since March owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism is being restored in phases. The railways is seeing the resumption of NMR service as a boost to tourism in the district.
According to an official in railway division, the Nilgiris district administration was requested to permit partial resumption of the service between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. The normal service covers the entire stretch from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam.
The official said that though it was proposed to resume the service by October 10, it might be delayed. Stating that the Collector’s clearance was awaited, the official was optimistic that the service could resume after a week.
The NMR service was suspended on March 20, a few days after the district was entirely closed to tourists. In the Nilgiris, only parks and gardens run by the Horticulture Department are open to the public. The other popular tourism spots, such as the Boat House, Pykara Lake and Doddabetta Peak remain closed.