Toy trains are a lovely tourist attraction. Not only are these trains a means to commute, but they are adorable and have routes that are full of tunnels and scenic views, making the ride an enjoyable one. No matter which station you go to, you will mostly find a toy train operating in the area. People love to enjoy scenic routes while having their morning tea. But did you know that they are also the slowest form of the locomotive? The Mettupalayam Ooty Nilgiri (Tamil Nadu) passenger train is the country’s slowest train, running at a speed of just 10 kilometres per hour. It is roughly 16 times slower than the fastest train in India and covers a distance of 46 kilometres in a little over five hours. But the ride is surely enjoyable.
UNESCO has declared the train a world heritage site, as an extension of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The official website of UNESCO reveals the construction of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway was proposed in 1854. But due to the difficulty of construction in a hilly location, the work started in 1891 and the railway line was ready to be operated in 1908. The elevation scaling of 326 metres to 2.2 kilometres represented the latest technology of the time.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway operates the train daily. The train leaves from Mettupalayam at 7:10 am and reaches Ooty at noon. It comes back to Mettupalayam at 5:35 pm.
According to IRCTC, the train passes through many tunnels and over 100 bridges during its 46 km journey. The rocky terrain, ravines, tea plantations and thickly forested hills make the ride beautiful. This makes the five-hour journey worth it, and the most breathtaking scenery is situated between Mettupalayam and Coonoor.
The reservation of the train can be done via the IRCTC website. Since the footfall of tourists rises immensely during the holidays and weekends, which is why it is advisable to carry out the booking of the train.
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