New Onam Festival Special Trains
To accommodate the surge in passenger traffic during the Onam festival season, Southern Railway has introduced several special train services connecting key destinations across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka. These trains are specifically designed
to clear the extra rush, offering much-needed connectivity for those travelling home for the festivities. For example, weekly special trains will operate between Mangaluru Central and Chennai Egmore, providing eight services in each direction to cater to the demand on this popular route. Similarly, services connecting Thiruvananthapuram Central with Tambaram have also been announced. Another key route being serviced is the Chennai-Kollam line, with weekly express specials scheduled on Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout August and into early September. These services will connect major hubs and provide crucial links for festival travel.
Spotlight on Key August Services
Among the newly announced services, several are noteworthy for their routes and timings. The Train No. 06119/06120 Chennai-Kollam weekly special will depart from Chennai MGR Central in the afternoon and reach Kollam the next morning, with the return journey starting from Kollam in the morning. Another significant service is the Thiruvananthapuram-Tambaram weekly special (06110/06109), which will pass through important towns like Kollam, Madurai, and Tiruchchirappalli. Beyond the Onam specials for Kerala and Tamil Nadu, services have also been announced connecting Karnataka. A special express train will run from Mysuru to Kannur on August 29, with a return service from Kannur to Bengaluru Cantonment on August 30, facilitating travel between the two states during the holiday period. Passengers should note that advance reservations for many of these trains have already begun.
Major Service Changes at Chennai Egmore
Travellers heading to or from Chennai must pay close attention to their itineraries this month. Due to extensive redevelopment work at the Chennai Egmore Railway Station, the operation of five major express trains will be temporarily altered from August 5 to August 20, 2026. Several trains will be “short-terminated,” meaning they will end their journey at a station before Chennai Egmore. Affected services include the Thanjavur-Chennai Egmore Uzhavan Express (16866) and the Kollam-Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri Superfast Express (20636), both of which will now terminate at Tambaram. The Tiruchchirappalli-Chennai Egmore Rockfort Express (12654) will terminate at Mambalam. Correspondingly, the originating station for the return journeys of these trains will also be shifted from Egmore to Tambaram for the duration of the work. This makes it crucial for passengers to verify their exact boarding and alighting points.
How to Plan and Book Your Journey
With these changes and new additions, planning is more important than ever. Passengers are strongly advised to check the latest train schedules and service patterns before starting their journey. The official NTES (National Train Enquiry System) app and website are the most reliable sources for real-time updates. All tickets for these special trains, as with regular services, should be booked through the official IRCTC website or the IRCTC Rail Connect mobile app. It is important to note that special trains may operate with “special fares,” which can be higher than the base fare for regular trains on the same route. Booking well in advance is highly recommended, as seats on these festival-time trains fill up extremely quickly once reservations open.
