Nilgiri Mountain Rail suspended
Road and rail traffic between Coonoor and Metupalayam came to halt as heavy rains which lashed this area on Sunday night triggered minor landslips on the road and railway track.Consequently, the Nilgiri Mountain Rail (NMR) and road traffic between Mettupalayam and Coonoor have been suspended.According to Highways department sources, a heavy boulder rolled down the hills and fell on the road near Marapallam at the ninth hairpin bend on the Mettupalayam-Coonoor NH-67.Though no one was injured, the road has developed some cracks under the impact of the boulder.Steps were being taken to remove the boulder and the road would be cleared in a couple of days, sources said.All vehicular traffic from Mettupalayam to Coonoor and Ooty have been diverted via Kotagiri.Meanwhile, Southern Railway has suspended NMR service for three days as about 60 metres of tracks between Hillgrove and Coonoor stations as huge boulders fell on the tracks in land slides, which also damaged a bridge (Bridge No 73).
Railway sources said 15 metres of embankments had also been washed away in the flash floods due to the torrential rains.On Monday, the NMR train was backed down from Hillgrove to Mettupalayam as it could not proceed further due to the landslide, and the passengers were transported to Coonoor and Ooty by buses.Railway officials said about 150 persons were engaged in round the clock restoration work.
