Ooty toy train- Waiting list ticket

I am planning to take the toy train from Metupayalam to Ooty/coonoor this weekend. But there is no availability in either First Class or Second Class.

Can I take a waiting list ticket and get into the First Class??

Please suggest....

Another option for me is to take a cab or bus from coimbatore/metupalayam and reach coonoor. And then take the toy train from coonoor to ooty anytime during my stay. I am planning to stay for 4 days there.

How scenic/enjoyable is the road journet when compared to train journey?

April Mid until May end is the peak season in ooty and hence definitely toy train will be crowded. I did this toy train journey twice and both times it's in peak season and in first class only and I did it only from ooty to mettupalayam.In Second class, even though booking is there, people (Lots and lots of school / college tour groups get in in all compartments except first class) and anyway it's fun journey and hence nobody objects.

As far as I remember First class has very very less seats but the advantage is it's just behind the engine(Second coach) and hence views are really good.


My suggestion is :

1) Catch a bus from Gandhipuram (Coimbatore Bus stand) to Ooty (3 hours journey and in this season bus frequency will be more. Normally it's hourly once). Road Journey is just yet another Hill drive and this is no way comparable to the toy train journey.
2) Try out reservation for the toy train for the return journey from ooty. Return journey is more scenic as you can have valley views !.(Toy train takes around 4 1/2 hours for ooty to mettupalaiyam JN). If your return journey from ooty to hyderabad is via Chennai by any chance, there is a toy train connecting the Blue mountain Express (Mettupalaiyam- Chennai) and we infact took this train Back to chennai.
Hope this helps.

I haven't done many hill drives, so it may be true that the drive is just another one, but I thought it was wonderful! It's quicker too, about half the time. I haven't done the toy-train jorney either, as it was full up both ways when I went.

your point 2 reads as if can take an actual toy train all the way to Chennai, which I'm sure is not what you wanted to say!

Hmmm ... I meant there is 1 toy train around 3 pm or so from ooty which reaches Mettupalaiyam Jn . From Mettupalaiyam Jn, one can catch the Blue Mountain Express which runs from Mettupalaiyam to Chennai..

Nick, Thanks for your inputs and in a lighter note, if the toy train runs upto chennai it might take 2 days or so

Yes, indeed! at the very least

Yes the Toy Train does seem to get crowded - I did the journey last month -though I booked the ticket just before the train left -the bookings start one hr ( or 30 mins) before the scheduled departure- so am not too sure how you got a waitlisted ticket but I used this route to get the tickets and it worked fine. Also,usually a queue forms much before even the booking counters open so do reach early enough.

The first class was really nice - there were two coupes - the forst one does offer some amazing views.

The Chennai -Mettupalayam ticket is one continuous journey - actually much more comfortable if you are coming from Chennai.

Hope this helps,

thanx a lot for the reply friends. .

the toy train has no accomodation to and fro for next 2 months.

can i board the toy train even without booking and just by taking ticket in mtp. how comfortable will be the journey?? i m going with my family so wanted to know if heavy rush will be there?

Surya,

Yes there are general compartments and you could get a open/ unreserved ticket at Mettupalaiayam and board the train. And Getting a comfortable place to sit is pure luck !. Atleast in my experience, the train is more over-crowded during the return journey (Ooty-MTP) when compared to the onward journey(MTP-ooty).



All the best !

You don't say what day this weekend.

The first train is the normal service train, and you've got little chance of a waitlist ticket becoming a confirmed ticket.

Train 662, Metupalaiyam 07:10, Udagamandalam (Ooty) 12:00

19th = WL 30/WL 19
20th = WL 24/WL 17


The following train is the summer special, it runs till the 9th June.

Train 0670, Metupalaiyam 09:00, Udagamandalam (Ooty) 13:50

19th = WL 19/WL 6
20th = WL/available

The 20th has availability as some tickets have already been cancelled, but I think it's worth taking the chance on the 19th if that's the day you want to take the train, there's a good chance that 6 people may not turn up, or may turn up from the overnight Nilagiri Express and decide to jump on the 07:10 train, either way, it shouldn't be as crowded as the first train.

However wonderful the view, I would want to know that I had a seat for a five hour journey and wouldn't risk it otherwise.

Important info like that should be added to your first post, it's a lot more difficult to squeeze a family onto a train than a single person, likewise, it's a lot more difficult to get confirmed berths for a family.

Than advice was for a single person travelling alone, a family is a different matter.

dear steven_ber,
that is a good suggestion u gave. thank u. first i was planning to take bus to coonoor. but now i will first try 9.10 train in MTP.
thats a chance worth to be taken for the toy train journey.

ya true i shud have mentioned that earlier... but then we will try in MTP and if i find crowd then will take a bus/cab to coonoor.

As my stay will be in coonoor for 4 days, i will travel from there to ooty in coonoor-ooty passenger to enjoy toy train ride.

Dear Surya,

On 17th April, you said "this weekend"? Did you plan this trip on 19th/20th ex.MTP? Just curious!!!

By the way, both 662 and 0670 are heavily waitlisted for another 40 days to come. Please look at the availability of 0670:
.......
You Queried For
Train Number Train Name Date (DD-MM-YYYY) Source Station Destination Station Quota Code
0670 MTP UAM PAS 1-06-2008 METUPALAIYAM UDAGAMANDALAM GENERAL
S.No. Date (DD-MM-YYYY) Class - FC Class -2S
1 1- 6-2008 AVAILABLE- 0005 AVAILABLE- 0018
2 2- 6-2008 AVAILABLE- 0008 AVAILABLE- 0068
3 3- 6-2008 AVAILABLE- 0006 AVAILABLE- 0068
4 4- 6-2008 AVAILABLE- 0008 AVAILABLE- 0065
5 5- 6-2008 AVAILABLE- 0004 AVAILABLE- 0062
6 6- 6-2008 AVAILABLE- 0008 AVAILABLE- 0064
..........
The 0670 will be withdrawn from 9th June,onwards.

VSP garu... I knew i will find u in this community of Indian Railways.... nice to see u here sir.

All,

Thanks for all the suggestions... I had a very good trip to ooty and I am back today only. Will post the complete experience in a new topic very soon.

Cud not travel in the toy train from/to mtp.

But enjoyed the ride of toy train... travelled from coonoor to ooty and back in the toy train..

Hi everyone,

I'm visiting Ooty with my husband in the last week of April. We wanted to travel on the MTP-UAM toy train but didn't get any tickets.
However, we found that train #667 Ooty-Coonoor has some tickets available in FC. Is that a toy train as well? If it is then I'll go ahead and book 2 tickets on that. Appreciate your help!

Thanks!