Nilgiri Mountain Railway
#2of 6 places to visit in OotyOoty, Tamil Nadu
Also known as Ooty Toy Train · Udhagamandalam–Coonoor Toy Train · Mountain Railways of India (UNESCO)
Quick answer
Opening hours: 12:15–12:30. Entry: ₹60. Allow 1 hr. Best time: 09:15 morning departure.
Updated · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 5 min read
- Opening hours
- 12:15–12:30
- Ooty–Coonoor services depart Udhagamandalam station at approximately 09:15, 12:15–12:30, and 14:00 daily; the Mettupalayam–Ooty through train departs Mettupalayam around 07:10 and reaches Ooty around 11:55, returning about 14:00.
- Entry fee
- ₹60
- Ticket from
- Time needed
- 1 hr
- Best time of day
- 09:15 morning departure
- Best months
- Oct – Mar
- Address
- Udhagamandalam Railway Station, Station Road, Udhagamandalam, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu 643001
About Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway carries passengers along a 46-kilometre metre-gauge line between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam that UNESCO inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2005, an extension of the Mountain Railways of India listing that already covered the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The full climb gains roughly 1,800 metres in altitude, and the steepest stretch, between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, runs on a rack-and-pinion Abt system, the only one still operating on India's rail network. A steam locomotive built to a design dating to 1914 pushes the train up this rack section from behind rather than pulling it, a safety measure that keeps the engine below the carriages on the descent. From Coonoor to Ooty the gradient eases onto conventional adhesion track and a diesel locomotive takes over for the final run into Udhagamandalam railway station, the line's northern terminus and the departure point for the shorter Ooty–Coonoor service most day visitors ride.
Best time of day: 09:15 morning departure. Coolest temperatures and the clearest valley visibility before afternoon cloud builds over the tea estates.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway timings
- Opening hours
- 12:15–12:30
Mon–Sun 12:15–12:30 - Ooty–Coonoor services depart Udhagamandalam station at approximately 09:15, 12:15–12:30, and 14:00 daily; the Mettupalayam–Ooty through train departs Mettupalayam around 07:10 and reaches Ooty around 11:55, returning about 14:00.
- Closed on
- Open every day
Good to know: Monsoon-season landslips, typically July–September, occasionally suspend services on the steeper Mettupalayam–Coonoor rack section for safety inspections; the Ooty–Coonoor adhesion-track segment is less frequently affected.
Opening hours compiled from tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Nilgiri Mountain Railway ticket price
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Indian visitors | ₹60 |
| Foreign visitors | ₹60 |
| Children | ₹60 |
| Camera | Free |
Second Class fares for the Ooty–Coonoor run are officially about ₹30–₹150 depending on quota and season; First Class runs roughly ₹300–₹1,100. Indian Railways does not levy a separate foreign-national fare on this route the way monuments do. Children under 5 travel free; those 5 and older pay the full adult fare. As of 2026, verify at the IRCTC counter or booking portal, since fares are revised periodically and differ further for the longer Mettupalayam–Ooty steam run.
Prices compiled from tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in and public records, last updated . They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides
Best time to visit Nilgiri Mountain Railway
- Quiet
- Moderate
- Busy
06:30 – 09:00
Pre-Departure Queue
Reservation counter fills with walk-up Second Class ticket-seekers ahead of the 09:15 departure. Platform itself is still quiet.
Moderate09:15 – 11:00
Morning Departures
Platform is at its busiest as the first two Coonoor-bound services load. Tour groups and family parties cluster near the front carriages for photographs of the locomotive.
Busy11:00 – 13:30
Midday LullBest time to go
Between scheduled departures the platform empties out almost completely, leaving only staff and a few early arrivals for the next service.
Quiet14:00 – 15:30
Afternoon Departure
The last regular Coonoor service of the day draws a mix of returning day-trippers and families who skipped the morning queue.
Moderate
History of Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Nilgiri Mountain Railway construction began in 1891 and reached completion in 1908, seventeen years after the Madras Railway first proposed a line into the Nilgiris to move troops, mail, and produce up an escarpment that ordinary adhesion track could not climb. The Swiss Abt rack system, already proven in the Alps, was imported wholesale, rails, cog wheels, and locomotive plans included, because British engineers judged that no indigenous alternative could handle a gradient reaching 1 in 12.5 on the Kallar-to-Coonoor stretch. Construction crews cut through numerous curves and 16 tunnels across the 46-kilometre route, much of the heavy blasting and grading done by migrant labour from the plains under monsoon conditions. The completed line displaced the bullock-cart and palanquin routes that had carried planters and colonial officials into the hills since the 1820s, and it remained the primary supply route for the tea and cinchona plantations of the upper Nilgiris for the following half-century. UNESCO's 2005 inscription recognised the railway as a rare surviving example of a rack railway still in daily commercial operation, not merely preserved as a museum piece, and Indian Railways has kept the original steam locomotives in active rack-section service rather than retiring them to static display.
Rules & etiquette at Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Udhagamandalam railway station charges a platform ticket of ₹10 for anyone entering without a travel ticket, collected at the counter beside the main entrance. Second Class carriages have unreserved bench seating and fill up fast on the 09:15 and 14:00 departures toward Coonoor; arriving at least 30 minutes before departure to queue at the reservation window is the only reliable way to get a window seat, since online IRCTC booking for this short segment often shows no availability weeks in advance during December and the April–May school holidays. First Class coaches have cushioned seats and larger windows but sell out first through IRCTC's tourist quota. Standing between carriages or leaning out of doorways is prohibited, and conductors do enforce it on the Ooty side. Photography from the footboard while the train is in motion is the single most common cause of the few recorded accidents on this line and is actively discouraged by station staff.
Tips for visiting Nilgiri Mountain Railway
- 1
Booking the Ooty-to-Coonoor segment at least a week ahead through IRCTC is the most important piece of practical advice for this ride, because walk-up tickets on the two morning departures are frequently unavailable during the October–March high season. Sitting on the right-hand side heading toward Coonoor gives the better view of the tea-estate valleys below Wellington and Aravankadu; the left side faces the hillside for much of the run. The return trip from Coonoor can be combined with a stop at Sim's Park if travellers take a later afternoon service rather than the same train straight back. Carrying a light jacket is worth the space in a daypack even in April, since the open-window carriages get genuinely cold once the train climbs past Lovedale, the highest station on the entire network at over 2,200 metres. Food is not sold on board; the platform vendors at Coonoor station selling hot vadai and filter coffee during the scheduled halt are the only on-route option.
How to reach Nilgiri Mountain Railway
We haven't pinned Nilgiri Mountain Railway's exact position yet; the map shows the other places in our Ooty guide. Use the address below or the directions link.
Udhagamandalam Railway Station, Station Road, Udhagamandalam, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu 643001Directions in Google Maps
From Coimbatore International Airport (CJB)
₹1,800–₹2,50088 km · 3.5–4 hours
Prepaid taxi); TNSTC buses from Coimbatore to Ooty run periodically, fare approximately ₹120–₹180.
From Ooty Central Bus Stand
1 km · 10–15 min walk
Free on foot; auto-rickshaw ₹50–₹80.
From Charing Cross (Ooty town centre)
₹40–₹601.5 km · 5 min by auto / 20 min walk
Auto, negotiated).
Nearest airport
From Coimbatore International Airport (CJB)
approximately 88 km, 3.5–4 hours by road via the Mettupalayam ghat road.
Nearest railway station
From Udhagamandalam Railway Station is itself the northern terminus of the line; the nearest broad-gauge railhead is Mettupalayam Junction, approximately 46 km away.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway FAQs
Is the steam locomotive used on the Ooty–Coonoor ride?
No. The steam locomotive operates only on the steeper Mettupalayam–Coonoor rack section; the Coonoor–Ooty stretch uses a diesel locomotive because the gradient eases onto standard adhesion track that does not need the rack-and-pinion system.
How far in advance should tickets be booked?
At least one to two weeks ahead through IRCTC during the October–March season, since walk-up Second Class tickets for the two morning Ooty–Coonoor departures regularly sell out days in advance.
Is there a separate fare for foreign nationals?
No. Indian Railways charges the same class-based fare to all nationalities on this route, unlike the differential entry pricing used at most Indian monuments.
How long is the Ooty–Coonoor journey and how far is it?
The distance is about 14 kilometres and the scheduled run takes roughly 45–50 minutes, though timings can run longer during the winter fog season.
Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated . How we rank and check places
