Folk dances, fireworks mark centenary celebration of Nilgiri Mountain Railways

Coimbatore, Dec 13 (ANI): Colourful dances and fireworks marked the centenary celebrations of the Nilgiri Mountain railways (NMR) in Coimbatore.

Women, men and children performed folk dances and also sang songs. Hundreds of residents witnessed the celebration.

R.K Rao, the Chief Mechanical Engineer of Southern Railways, said the entire side stretches of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway Train track needed to be beautified by planting colourful flowers and trees to attract tourists.

The metre gauge rail-line, linking Mettupalayam in the plains and high altitude tourist hotspot Ooty, passes through some of the most breathtaking tropical forests of the hilly Western Ghats.

The toy train which has four bogies and a steam engine runs on a rack and pinion system from Mettupalayam to Coonoor.

In comparison to other mountain railways, the NMR compares with Swiss Mountain Railway System of the Alps in terms of technology and ruling gradient.

The steam engine puffs its way through 208 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges during its 45 km journey. (ANI)