CHENNAI: Indian Railways has announced special trains to handle the spike among passengers during the festival season, especially those heading to the Velankanni shrine and north India for Navaratri, Deepavali and Chhath pooja.
Western Railway will run two pairs of special trains between Bandra Terminus and Velankanni. The service from Bandra will depart at 8.40 pm on August 27 and September 6 (Wednesday and Saturday). The return services from Velankanni will leave at 12.30 am on August 30 and September 9 (Saturday and Tuesday).
These fully reserved trains will stop at key stations such as Katpadi, Vellore, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam and others, improving connectivity between western India and delta districts during the peak pilgrimage season.
To cater to demand during major north Indian festivals, Southern Railway will run weekly specials between Coimbatore and Jaipur, which will depart early morning on August 7, 14, 21, 28 and September 4 (Thursdays), reaching Jaipur on the third day.
The return service from Jaipur will run on August 10, 17, 24, 31 and September 7 (Sundays), arriving in Coimbatore on the fourth day. These long-haul trains will stop at Erode, Salem, Katpadi, Renigunta, and several junctions in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.