Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal dedicated two vistadome coaches (one AC and one non-AC coach) made by the Central Workshop in Tiruchi.
The coaches will soon be used on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway section between Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam.
The salient features of these coaches are that they have a glass roof and larger windows to enable tourists to get a better view of the scenic route.

Climate control

The coaches also have a cooling and heating facility, reclining seats, a stainless steel floor-level luggage rack and LED lights, according to officials in the Salem Railway Division.
Earlier, the Central Workshop upgraded two Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) coaches with similar features, which were appreciated by passengers.
Three vistadome coaches are already in use between Dadar and Madgoan stations , in Araku Valley and in Kashmir Valley. Four mountain railways have already been provided with these coaches.

Vistadome coaches

Totally, 13 vistadome coaches are already being used in various routes, namely four in the Darjeeling Railway, two in the Kalka-Shimla section, one in Kangra Valley Railway and one in Matheran Hill Railway.
With the modification of two-metre gauge track and pinion system in coaches, now all five hill railways will have vistadome coaches.

Nilgiri Mountain Rail

• The Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) is a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) metre gauge railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908.
• The railway is operated by the Southern Railway and is the only rack railway in India that relies on its fleet of steam locomotives.
• NMR switched to diesel locomotives on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. Local people and visitors led a campaign to return to steam locomotives in this section.
• In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The site then became known as Mountain Railways of India.

Other Mountain Railways in India:

• The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
• The Nilgiri Mountain Railway
• Kalka–Shimla Railway