Indian Railways cancels train services on Mettupalayam-Coonoor route; Here’s WHY?

Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR) has suspended train services due to the ongoing restoration work to clear debris from the track, the Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalam on December 17, Southern Railway announced on Friday. Earth slips caused by heavy rains in the Nilgiris district a few days ago covered portions of the track, and trees uprooted by winds also fell across the track, obstructing train operations between Mettupalayam and Coonoor for the last three days, according to a release. 

Engineering works to repair the damaged railway track are in progress, but the quantum of work is more, leading to the cancellation of the trains. However, the release added that train services between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam will be operated as scheduled.

Also read: Indian Railways should adopt latest digital technologies, explore new avenues: President Droupadi Murmu

Besides, for a number of reasons, Indian Railways' catering and tourism division, IRCTC, has cancelled close to 235 trains today (December 16). Besides, the source stations for 31 trains have been altered as a result of bad weather, required track maintenance, and operational work. Indian Railways has also diverted 18 trains and rescheduled 25 trains. On December 15, IRCTC also cancelled a number of trains. Therefore, before starting their own rail excursions, passengers must check the status of their trains.

Passengers can also check the status of their trains on the NTES website. To begin, go to the website and click on "Exceptional trains" in the top right corner. Following that, a drop-down menu will appear with a number of options, including trains that have been cancelled, diverted, or postponed, among others.

The IRCTC website will cancel any rail passengers' reservations immediately, and a refund will be initiated in the users' accounts shortly thereafter. Every day, Indian Railways cancels train service due to a variety of factors, such as train maintenance, natural disasters, and even train derailments.

With inputs from PTI