The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, completed in 1908, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 as part of the Mountain Railways of India. The 46 km metre-gauge line passes through 16 tunnels, 257 bridges, and 209 curves while scaling from 326 metres to 2,203 metres.
Between Mettupalayam and Coonoor, vintage X Class steam locomotives - originally from Switzerland - haul the train using a unique rack-and-pinion system found nowhere else in India. The five-hour journey through tea estates, shola forests, and misty valleys is an experience in itself. The train famously appeared in the Bollywood song Chaiyya Chaiyya from Dil Se.
- Address: Udagamandalam Railway Station, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu 643001
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