The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), which figures in Unesco’s list of ‘world heritage sites’, will chug through the scenic landscape with all-steel coaches from August-end.
The existing coaches, on an average, are 30 to 90 years’ old. The Salem Division of Southern Railway had originally ordered 35 coaches including spare coaches for replacement of time-worn units and also for running special services. However, the Railway Board had placed orders for 28 coaches with the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
A first shell for the coach is ready. The first rake of four coaches will be ready by August-end and the remaining coaches will be rolled out in a phased manner before 2019-end, Subhranshu, Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer of ICF, told The Hindu .
Efforts were on to roll out 15 coaches during this fiscal; the remaining 13 coaches would be rolled out during the next fiscal, he added.
The coaches would come with a new suspension system and have higher under-gear safety, providing a pleasant travel experience for the tourists, he added.
The coaches are being made of steel and they would have extra-large windows to enable the passengers to enjoy the scenic beauty of the valleys, ravine, streams and the gorgeous mountains, as the NMR chugs through the meter gauge section.
Plan for bio-toilets
From the second batch, the coaches would have bio-toilets andnot pollute the ecology of the Nilgiris, Mr. Subhranshu added. This is essential because passengers, during the uphill journey, are on board the train from 7.10 a.m. to 12 noon, and in the return journey from Udhagamandalam to Mettuppalayam, they stay on board from 2 p.m. to 5.35 p.m.
The wooden coaches used hitherto are not maintainable and safe.
In fact, in a bid to involve all the stakeholders, the ICF had invited some rail activists and NMR fans to have a look at the shell and the coach plan and offer their inputs/suggestions, sources added.
Mr. Subhranshu also said that 13 rakes i.e., 78 Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit coaches, were being exported to Sri Lanka and the ICF was likely to bag another order for 160 normal passenger coaches from the island nation.
In addition, by supplying 30,000- plus coaches during this fiscal year, the ICF is likely to become the world’s largest coach builder.
