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The Nilgiri Mountain Railway has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in their 29th of World Heritage Committee being held in Durban in South Africa from 10th to 17 July, 2005. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is easily the most authentic and original rack and adhesion railway in the world. It remains much as it was at the time of its completion in September 1908 such as stations, signalling, rural environment, locomotives and rolling stock. All are much as they were in the first decade after its completion. Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a living example of the engineering enterprise of the 19th century. Its construction provided an access to this hill station and also proved to be a boon for the tea growing industry.
The Ministry of Railways of and also the Southern Railway administration give great emphasis on the preservation of this entire railway system including the line, rolling stock and all associated buildings in their original to the extent possible. The locomotives and rolling stock are old and also of heritage value and the steam locomotives which work all traffic on the rack section and the tourist special on the adhesion section were designed in 1911 and still running.
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was inscribed as world heritage site by UNESCO in 1999 and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was inscribed in 2004. Indian Railways are also making efforts to get this inscription for other mountain railways.
Application for Kalka-Shimla Railway is already under examination with UNESCO and is expected to be considered by world heritage committee next year. Besides these, other mountain railways like Neral Matheran near Mumbai and Kangra Valley Railway (Joginder Nagar-Pathankot) have unique qualities for the inscription by UNESCO.
BSC/HK/CKB
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