Heritage train will not be stopped despite loss: Velu

Coimbatore, Oct 13 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Railways A Velu today said even though the Heritage train Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR) was incurring a loss of Rs six crore per year, it would not be stopped.

After travelling in the Heritage train with the newspersons from Coonoor to Ooty for the Centenary celebrations of the NMR, he said at Udhagamadalam railway station that there were five mountain rails running in the country and all of them were making financial losses.

The total loss was to the tune of Rs 22 crore per year.

There was no question of privatising over the Heritage train, he added.

Stating that the Ministry has planned number of programmes to celebrate the centenary year of NMR for the next two months, he said for the last five years, the traffic of passengers between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam has increased by 44 per cent with increased revenue of 18 per cent.

He said the Railways had spent Rs 195 lakh for passenger amenities and would spend another Rs 63 lakh.

The ministry has planned to establish 100 hotels in the country, out of which Udhagamandalam railway station would get one, he added.

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