:Tourists planning a memorable trip to Udhagamandalam during July-August week-ends, will be able to plan their picturesque journey from Mettupalayam at convenient timings, after reaching Coimbatore Junction around dawn by overnight express trains from various locations.The Railways has announced that the NMR (Nilgiri Mountain Railway) special service (No. 6171) will be operated on Fridays and Sundays from Mettupalayam at 9.10 a.m. to reach the destination at 2.25 p.m., from July 10 to August 2.The train will have 40 first class seats and 140 second class seats till Coonoor, from where the number of first class seats alone will be doubled.Currently, the only overnight express train operated on a daily basis to Mettupalayam Station is the Nilgiris Express from Chennai Central, which reaches the destination at 6.20 a.m., allowing tourists to board the regular NMR service that departs to Udhagamandalam at 7.10 a.m.The overnight bi-weekly Tuticorin-Mettupalayam train reaches the destination at 7.40 a.m. on Fridays and Sundays. Passengers travelling by the weekly overnight Tirunelveli-Mettupalayam special train that reaches the destination on Mondays also find the NMR train timing inconvenient as they arrive at 7.15 a.m.The Mettupalayam-Udhagamandalam special NMR service, according to the public, will be of immense help to Udhagamandalam-bound tourists arriving Coimbatore Junction by the Cheran Superfast Express from Chennai at 6 a.m., and the Nagercoil-Coimbatore Superfast Express that reaches at 7.10 a.m.The tourists arriving by these trains will, however, have to travel by road for about an hour to Mettupalayam Station to board the special NMR train.Due to the inconvenient morning timing, a section of tourists from distant locations arriving in Coimbatore in the morning hours after overnight journey choose to book tickets to travel by the Udhagamandalam-Mettupalayam NMR service that departs at 2 p.m. and arrives at the destination at 5.30 p.m.The Udhagamandalam-Mettupalayam Special Service train (No. 6172) departs at 11.25 a.m. on Mondays and Saturdays and reaches Mettupalayam at 4.20 p.m.The demand of the travelling public for utilisation of the rakes of Pollachi-Coimbatore passenger train (operated with Semmozhi Express train coaches) idling at Coimbatore Junction, for operating a morning service to Mettupalayam, will be in the interests of potential tourists patronising the special NMR service from Mettupalayam, passenger welfare associations emphasise. Published - July 04, 2026 08:08 pm IST