The Nilgiri mountain train, part of the Mountain Railways of India is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Take this train to arrive at Ooty in the most traditional way.
This miniature narrow gauge train provides the most scenic journey to reach Ooty in a slow but traditional way. Mettupalayam to Ooty takes 4 hours 30 minutes. Return journey is 3 hours 30 min long.
The experience of this 46 km journey offers a fine view of forest, waterfalls and tea plantations along the way. The railway line with 200+ bends winds through sixteen tunnels, eleven stations and nineteen bridges.
Two sections of the route.
The first section is from Mettupalayam to Coonnoor ( 27km) and the second section is from Coonoor to Ooty.
Mettupalayam to Ooty Trains
Mettupalayam – Udagamandalam Passenger (Train Number – 06136/06137) is the only train pair that covers the full distance of the Mettupalayam – Ooty route.
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Mettupalayam to Ooty | Train Number 06141 | Departure from Mettupalayam : 7:10 am | Arrival at Ooty : 11:55 am
Ooty to Mettupalayam |06137 | Departure from Ooty : 2pm | Arrival at Mettupalayam : 5:30pm
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Coonoor Udagamandalam Passengers:
There are three pairs of trains between Coonoor & Ooty – Morning , noon & evening. If the full distance
[table]
|Train Number |Departure from Coonoor | Arrival at Ooty
Morning Train| 06141|7.45am| 9am
Noon Train | 06143|12.35pm| 1:45pm
Evening Train | 06138|4pm |5:10pm
[/table]
[table]
|Train Number | Arrival at Ooty |Departure from Coonoor
Morning Train| 06139|9:15am| 10:20am
Noon Train | 06142|12.15pm| 1:15pm
Evening Train | 06140|5:30pm |6:35pm
[/table]
Attractions
Take the left seats from Mettupalayam towards Ooty, the views on this side are spectacular, especially along the steepest sections in the Huligal ravine.
Ticket Booking
[#dot]Buy unreserved tickets from the railway station counter. Seats get overbooked, especially on weekends and peak seasons. So book online in advance ( IRCTC site).
[#dot]If the Mettupalayam to Ooty train is fully booked, try the shorter Coonoor – Ooty trains.
[#dot]You can secure a ticket by booking online up to three months in advance.
[#dot] The Mettupalayam-Ooty train waits for the overnight Chennai-Mettupalayam Nilgiri Express (Train No: 12671). Traveling from Chennai on Train No: 12671 allows you to book directly to Ooty and board the mountain train at Mettupalayam in the morning.
[#dot]In case you’ve missed the train, you can take a bus ride to Ooty from Mettupalayam. The road to Ooty runs almost parallel to the train track.
Also note these trains doesnt have restrooms , use one at railway station before boarding