The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) line, is being completely transformed, with renovations to the building being criticised by heritage train and history enthusiasts in the district.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
For over 125 years, the Coonoor railway station has remained frozen in time. A relic of the Nilgiris’ complicated colonial history, the station, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, that is the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) line, is being completely transformed, with renovations to the building being criticised by heritage train and history enthusiasts in the district.
Writing in his “Encyclopedia of the Nilgiri Hills,” renowned anthropologist Paul Hockings states: “The construction of a railway going up onto [sic] the Nilgiris, was being mooted for over half-a-century before it became a reality…Railways offered the British administration the best possible way of moving troops rapidly around the country…”
Mr. Hockings went on to add that though Coimbatore could be reached from what was then called Madras in the year 1870 itself, that “It was only in 1891, Lord Wenlock, Governor of Madras, cut the first sod which thereby launched the actual construction,” which led to the ghat line connecting Mettupalayam with Coonoor being opened in 1899.
Since the opening of the line, the Coonoor railway station, one of the most iconic landmarks of the hill town, has remained relatively unchanged. However, as part of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the Salem division of the Southern Railway announced that the Coonoor station, along with its counterpart in Udhagamandalam, was to be “redeveloped” at a combined cost of ₹14.7 crore.
Passenger amenities
The railways promised to upgrade passenger amenities and to beautify the stations. However, since work began, opposition to the work has increased in both towns, for different reasons. While the work at the Udhagamandalam station has drawn criticism from local environmentalists, who have been critical of the railways for destroying a portion of the wetland that comprises the town, opposition has been growing towards their work in Coonoor as well, as the 125-year-old colonial facade of the Coonoor station is in the process of being transformed with what critics argue damages the heritage value of the site.
K. Natrajan, a heritage train enthusiast and Founder of the Heritage Steam Chariot Trust, said that while he could accept the renovations to the railway station building in Ooty, due to the building being modified over its history, that the changes to the station in Coonoor had left him extremely distressed.
“The charm of the Coonoor station is the colonial architecture. It is a throwback to the history of the NMR line, and should have been preserved as it stood, with only maintenance work on the building being undertaken,” he said.
According to officials, work on the railway station will include re-tiling the roof and also tiling a portion of the walls inside the station, expanding the parking facilities and “beautifying” the station, which includes the building of arches made of brick outside the station.
After initially expressing a willingness to work with local heritage experts in the “redevelopment,” the railways suddenly decided against bringing local residents and experts on board before deciding on the changes to the station, local heritage enthusiasts who requested anonymity told The Hindu.
Large parking lot
“There was no need for such a large parking lot at the station, as there were only a limited number of trains plying to Coonoor, and the facilities are more than adequate for the number of people the station services,” the enthusiast added.
Mr. Natrajan said the railways should have spent the money on other facilities along the NMR line that required their immediate attention. He said the loco shed in Coonoor remained unprotected without walls or fences, and that outsiders could enter the shed illegally, compromising the safety of the locomotives housed inside.
“We also had to repeatedly fight the railways to get them to stop cutting down trees within the Coonoor station, some of which are almost as old as the station itself,” he added. For now, there is little hope among residents that the damage to the heritage value of the Coonoor station could be reversed. However, they want the railways to consider scaling back the changes to the complex and minimise changes to the main building.
When contacted, a top official from the Salem Division of the Southern Railway, in a statement said, “We have taken cognisance of the stakeholders’ views and are looking to address the concerns.”
Published – September 08, 2024 09:53 pm IST
