Nilgiri Mountain Railway

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway climbs from Mettupalayam on the plains of Tamil Nadu to Ooty in the Nilgiri hills, and the lower section uses a rack and pinion system to haul the train up gradients that plain adhesion cannot manage. That stretch is worked by steam, with the locomotive pushing from behind, moving at little more than walking pace through tunnels, over bridges and past waterfalls and eucalyptus slopes. Above Coonoor the line eases and diesel takes over for the run through tea estates to Ooty. The whole journey takes around five hours uphill and is one of the few rack railways still in regular service anywhere.

What you actually see

• The rack section below Coonoor - the steep climb worked by a steam locomotive pushing from behind.
• Tunnels and bridges - the engineered stretches cut into the hillside on the ascent.
• Tea estates above Coonoor - the plantation country the upper line runs through.
• Coonoor and Ooty stations - the working hill towns at either end of the upper section.

When to go

October to March is dry and clear in the Nilgiris, with cold mornings and good visibility. April and May are busy with domestic holidaymakers and everything in Ooty is expensive. The monsoon brings landslides that can suspend services for stretches at a time. Tickets for the uphill train are released well in advance and sell out quickly; the downhill run is easier to get.

Honest expectations

Seats are hard, carriages are basic and the uphill journey takes about five hours, which is a long time on a bench. Trains run once a day in each direction on the full route, so a missed connection wastes a day. Windows are barred and often dirty, which frustrates photographers. Ooty at the top is congested and built up, and does not match the journey.

Nearby

Coonoor's tea estates and the viewpoints of the Nilgiri plateau are the natural stops.