Necessity is the mother of invention. It was the need to the get to the top without much difficulty that led to the development of Nilgiri mountain railway. In the early days, when Ooty did not have any facility for safe and quick transport, dollies and horses were used for transportation. The journey was not only difficult also often unreliable. Not to mention that in case of medical emergencies it created even more difficulties that even led to fatal incidents. It was this predicament that led to the idea of the Nilgiri mountain railway. The idea sprouted way back in 1854, but it will take another 40 years before any work will start on it.
History of Nilgiri mountain railway
A swiss inventor by the name Riggenback was the brain who devised the unique and functional railway line. The railway was designed to make an ascent of almost 6,000 feet, from 1069 feet to 7228 feet in the top of Nilgiri mountains. On its introduction, the line won the unique achievement of being the steepest one in Asia. The entire journey to the top itself is one that is filled with mesmerizing views of the greenery below. With a small and compact carriage design, the Nilgiri mountain railway is often called a toy train ride which people of all ages have come to fall in love with.
The Journey – Nilgiri mountain railway
The train journey kick starts from Mettupalayam. Located on the banks of river Bhavani, it is one of the scenic locations in Ooty. It is also in Mettupalayam that the dairy with high breed cattle for milk production are housed. The first five miles of the journey moves through plains, after which the train begins the ascent to the top. Within a distance of twelve miles, the train will cover more than 4363 feet giving tourists a splendid view of the ground below that shrinks in size as the train climbs higher into the mountain. The entire route will pass through Wellington, Ooty, Coonoor, Lovedale, etc. all of which are essential tourist destinations in the region. They are famous for their pine forests and idyllic toy like homes which make Ooty a cherish worthy place to stay for a vacation.
During the entire route the train will pass through a total distance of 116 km that is riddled with close to 250 bridges and 16 tunnels, each one giving a different yet vivid view of Ooty’s hilly terrain. The final destination of the trip is Ooty from where the train will commence the journey down after a short recess.
Ooty rewards a delightful experience for all its visitors. There is no one who will not feel refreshed or relaxed after a trip to Ooty. Calm your sense and recharge your batteries in the beautiful natural surroundings of Ooty with a Ooty family trip package.
