Why August Brings New Schedules
To accommodate the increased passenger demand typically seen during August, driven by holidays and the Onam festive season, Southern Railway and other zonal railways have introduced a robust schedule of special trains. These additional services are designed
to clear the extra rush and provide more confirmed berths for travellers on high-demand routes, particularly those connecting northern and southern India, and major hubs like Chennai, Kerala, and Mangaluru. The announcements cover a range of new weekly specials and extended runs for existing special services, offering a much-needed capacity boost during this peak travel period.
Key Special Train Services for August
Among the key announcements are several special trains catering to long-distance travel. The Prayagraj-Tirunelveli Special (Train No. 04171) will run every Saturday in August, with the return service (Train No. 04172) operating on Mondays. Another significant service is the Kanpur Central-Madurai Special (Train No. 01925), which will depart on Wednesdays throughout August, with the return train (No. 01926) running on Saturdays. For those travelling for Onam, special weekly trains will connect Chennai with Mangaluru (Train Nos. 06125/06126) and Kollam (Train Nos. 06119/06120) on various dates in August, providing crucial connectivity to and from Kerala. Passengers are advised to check the specific dates of operation for each service as they vary.
Major Changes at Chennai Egmore Station
A critical update for passengers travelling to or from Chennai is the temporary change in operations at Chennai Egmore station due to ongoing redevelopment work. From August 5th to August 20th, several major express trains will not originate from or terminate at Chennai Egmore. Instead, these services will be short-terminated or originate from alternate stations, primarily Tambaram and, in one case, Mambalam. For instance, the Thanjavur-bound Uzhavan Express (16865) and the Mangaluru Central Express (16159) will now originate from Tambaram during this period. Passengers holding tickets for these trains must check their revised boarding stations to avoid any last-minute confusion.
Affected Trains and Alternate Boarding Points
The list of trains affected by the Chennai Egmore redevelopment is extensive. Trains terminating at Chennai Egmore, such as the Kollam-Chennai Ananthapuri Superfast (20636) and the Mangaluru Central-Chennai Egmore Express (16160), will now terminate at Tambaram between August 5th and 19th. Similarly, their corresponding originating services will depart from Tambaram. For example, the Chennai Egmore – Kollam Ananthapuri Superfast (20635) will depart from Tambaram at 8:20 PM during this period. Some services, like the Ahmedabad-Tiruchchirappalli Weekly Express Special (09419), will be diverted entirely, skipping Chennai Egmore and Tambaram altogether but gaining a new stop at Tiruttani.
Booking Your Tickets and Changing Boarding Points
Advance reservations for most of these special trains have already begun. Travellers are strongly encouraged to book tickets through official channels like the IRCTC website or app to secure their travel. For added flexibility, Indian Railways has recently updated its rules for changing boarding points. Passengers with confirmed or RAC tickets can now change their boarding station up to 30 minutes before the train's departure, a significant improvement from the previous 24-hour rule. This change can be made online via the IRCTC portal or at a Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counter and can be done only once per ticket. This new rule is particularly useful for those impacted by last-minute changes or the station adjustments at Chennai Egmore.
