Munnar May Have Its Cult Monorail Train Restored

The monorail train once connected the hill station of Munnar with Mattupetty Top Station in Kundala valley and was also known as Kundala Valley Railway. The Munnar railway station built in 1902 is also home to the head office of KDHP (Kanan Devan Hills Plantations) Ltd. The monorail was later converted into a narrow gauge railway and operated till 1924 when it was washed away in a devastating Great Flood of 99. After the flood damaged the railway line beyond repair, an overland road between Munnar, the Top Station and Kodaikanal was constructed. 

It was the first monorail system in India and its primary purpose was to transport tea and other goods. Now the plans are mulled to restore the monorail and to make it Munnar's prime tourist attraction. The Tourism Department will revive Munnar train service following Darjeeling's model that proved to be a success with tourists.

The task though seems quite challenging. The monorail has remained in the state of ruins for almost a century with its remnants virtually scattered throughout Munnar and Kundala Valley. The current plan of the Tourism Department consists of several phases. The first phase includes revamping a 5 km stretch of the railway that will be remodelled like the Darjeeling train service. 



 

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