Passengers on board the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) service plying between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam were forced to cancel their trip after rockfalls along the route forced the Southern Railways to cancel services on September 5.
In a statement, the Salem division of the Southern Railway said heavy rains in the Nilgiris had caused landslips and rock-falls in many locations, including a portion of the railway track between Kallar and Hillgrove railway stations.
“A portion of the railway track between Kallar-Hillgrove has also been covered by mud; boulders have also rolled down and fallen on the track. These are obstructing the operation of train services between Mettupalayam-Coonoor,” it said.
Train Number 06136 plying between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam left Mettupalayam station with 140 passengers on Monday morning. “Upon reaching Kallar railway station, it came to be known that the track ahead had been obstructed and train services could not be operated. Hence, the train was backed down to Mettupalayam and the service was cancelled. And, all the 140 passengers were given full refund of their tickets as the train service was cancelled,” the release added.
Services from Udhagamandalam to Mettupalayam were also cancelled for the rest of the day, while services between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam are being operated as usual.
