Coimbatore, Sep 1:  A young couple from England became the first to charter the special train, introduced by Southern Railway, for a one-way trip from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam, to spend their honeymoon in the hills.

Graham William Lynn (30) and Silviya Plasic (27), who got married recently, paid around Rs 3 lakh to travel by train to the iconic Nilgiris hills, railways sources said.

The couple had booked the entire train through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website. As part of efforts to promote hill tourism, the Railway Board had approved the Salem division to operate the special train with a seating capacity of 120, in the Nilgiri Mountain railway section.

The couple was the first to avail the chartered service, the sources said, adding that they were accorded a rousing reception by station managers at Mettupalayam and Coonoor on their arrival on Friday, the sources said.

The train left Mettupalayam at 9.10 am and reached Ooty by 2.40 PM, they added.