Coonoor (TN): Efforts are on to restore the
Nilgiris Mountail Rail service between Coonoor and
Mettupalayam by May 15, as restoration works of the track,
totally damaged in the heavy rains, would take some more time,
a senior railway official said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters after commencing the services between
Udhagamandalam and Coonoor, Deepak Krishnan, General Manager,
Southern Railway said it was very difficult to take men and
materials on the Coonoor-Mettupalayam section, due to heavy
damage caused by landslides and big boulders following the
rains in November last, he said.
The estimated loss to the Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalm 42 km
track was about Rs 15 crore. The Aruvankadu section alone cost
Rs two crore for restoration, as a bridge had collapsed and
there was a crack on 600 metres track, he said.
Stating that four Steam engines for NMR were being built at a
cost of Rs six crore each at Golden Rock in Tiruchirapalli, to
be ready in another two years, he said this was against the
minimum global tender of Rs 20 crore per engine.
Krishnan also said the Railways were willing to open this
section for rail tourism, if private firms or sponsors came
forward to operate it.
PTI
