Visitors to the Nilgiris who enjoy their experience onboard the iconic Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) can now take home souvenirs to remember their experience, with the recent opening of a dedicated shop at the Udhagamandalam Railway Station.
The shop, which sells a variety of NMR-themed items, from stickers to t-shirts, caps and wallets, also features model train locomotives from across India, including engines from the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
The items sold at the shop range from ₹100, for items such as key chains and t-shirts, to ₹3,600 for a model steam locomotive.
The shop was inaugurated by Rajesh Agarwal, Member (Rolling Stock), Railway Board and Shubranshu, Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railways last week.
‘A great idea’
Visitors to the souvenir shop, such as V Ramaiah, a Coimbatore resident who had come to Udhagamandalam from Mettupalayam, said that the souvenir shop was a great idea. “When people come to the Nilgiris, they think of tea, chocolates and the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. So with the opening of the souvenir shop, we can take home something to remember the amazing journey we had aboard the train,” he said.
J Baranidharan, Station Master, Udhagamandalam Railway Station, said that there has been an overwhelming response from the public after the shop was opened.
Railway officials also said that the souvenir shop will be moved to a dedicated outlet at the railway station in a few months time. “For the time being, the shop is being run from the visitors’ room at the station, but will be shifted and expanded to a kiosk, which will give it even more visibility,” a railway official said. The souvenir shop in Udhagamandalam is among other shops operational in Mettupalayam and Coonoor, officials added.
K Natrajan, heritage train enthusiast and founder of the Heritage Steam Chariot Trust, said that the souvenir shop will draw more tourists by selling models of the X-class steam locomotives, which are iconic to the NMR route. “The X-class locomotive, built at the Swiss Locomotives and Machine Factory in Switzerland is over a 100-years-old, and occupies a place of pride in NMR history,” said Mr. Natrajan.
