CHENNAI: The Southern Railway introduced new train services, expanded stoppages and improved punctuality during 2025-26. During the year, the zone introduced 28 pairs of trains and two one-way services, the highest in the past decade.
These included a mix of long-distance, regional and suburban services such as Tambaram-Rameswaram Express, Chennai Central-Bhagat Ki Kothi Express and multiple Amrit Bharat trains connecting southern regions with northern and eastern India.
Among the additions were 10 pairs of Amrit Bharat Express trains, along with services like KSR Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express. In addition, 12 pairs of Mail/Express trains and seven pairs of passenger and MEMU services were introduced.
Also, changes were made to existing services. Five pairs of trains were extended, including services such as the Thiruvananthapuram-Madurai Amrita Express up to Rameswaram and the Vijayawada-Chennai Vande Bharat up to Narsapur. Frequency was increased for select services, including Tirupati-Rameswaram and Chennai-Badnera routes.
Travel time reductions were also reported across multiple routes. A total of 98 trains were speeded up, with some services seeing reductions of up to 85 minutes, particularly on long-distance corridors.
In terms of accessibility, 246 new stoppages were introduced across stations, including smaller towns and intermediate locations, expanding connectivity beyond major junctions.
Operationally, SR reported an overall punctuality rate of 93.22% across Mail, Express and suburban services, placing it among the top-performing zones. In the Mail and Express segment alone, punctuality stood at 91.3%.
Additional capacity was also created through operational measures. The number of trains converted to LHB coaches increased from 34 to 62, while extra coaches attached on a day-to-day basis rose by 58%.
The zone also operated 6,613 special train trips, up from 5,171 the previous year, with growth seen in both reserved and unreserved services.