With thousands of people expected to head home to Kerala for Onam, securing a confirmed train ticket can quickly become one of the biggest challenges of festive travel. This year, passengers will have
more options, with 112 special train trips notified for the Onam travel period to handle the additional rush and improve connectivity to Kerala.
Onam 2026 begins with Atham on August 16, while Thiruvonam, the main festival day, falls on Wednesday, August 26. The special services are planned largely around the peak travel window from August 14 to September 6, giving passengers additional options both before and after the festival.
Onam 2026 Special Trains: Which Kerala Cities Are Covered?
The additional services have been planned to connect major cities outside Kerala with important railway stations across the state. Travellers heading towards Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Kollam, Kozhikode and Kannur are among those expected to benefit.
The services include trains operated within the Southern Railway network, inter-railway special services and trains operated by other railway zones.
Travelling From Tamil Nadu? Check These Routes
Passengers travelling from Tamil Nadu will have multiple special services connecting Chennai, Tambaram and Chennai Egmore with destinations in Kerala.
Depending on the service, trains will travel through important junctions such as Arakkonam, Jolarpettai, Erode, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrissur and Madurai. This could also make the special trains useful for passengers boarding from intermediate cities rather than Chennai alone.
Travellers should check the exact train number and stopping pattern before booking, as not every special service will halt at all these stations.
Onam Trains From Bengaluru, Mysuru And Hubballi
For people travelling home from Karnataka, special services will provide additional connectivity from Bengaluru, Mysuru and Hubballi towards Kerala.
Destinations covered by different services include Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur, Kottayam and Kollam, with important connecting stations such as Krishnarajapuram, Salem, Shoranur and Kozhikode appearing on various routes.
The extra services could be particularly useful for passengers struggling to find confirmed berths on regular Bengaluru-Kerala trains during the days immediately preceding Thiruvonam.
Special Trains From Hyderabad And Other Cities
Passengers travelling from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh also have additional options. Special connections originating from Hyderabad and Cherlapalli are scheduled towards Kollam and Mangaluru Central, with routes passing through major stations including Guntur, Tenali, Gudur, Renigunta, Chittoor and Katpadi.
Since these trains cover multiple states, passengers from intermediate stations should check whether a particular service offers a convenient connection to their Kerala destination.
Travelling From West Bengal? Long-Distance Services Added
The festive arrangements aren’t restricted to Kerala’s neighbouring states. Long-distance connectivity from eastern India has also been strengthened.
Special services on the Santragachi-Thiruvananthapuram/Ernakulam corridor will provide an additional option for passengers travelling from West Bengal and other cities along the route.
Key stops on these services include Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Gudur, Renigunta and Erode, extending the usefulness of the trains to passengers travelling from several parts of eastern and southern India.
Booking An Onam Special Train? Don’t Skip These Checks
Passengers planning their journey should not rely only on the broad route or originating city when booking. Special trains can have different operating dates, timings, stoppages and train numbers, even when they serve similar routes.
Before paying for a ticket, check the train number, exact date of operation, boarding station, destination, departure time and station-wise stoppages on the official booking platform. It is also worth checking the schedule again closer to departure in case of operational changes.
Bookings and train availability can be checked through IRCTC, while passengers can use the Indian Railways enquiry portal to check train schedules and running information.
With the busiest travel period expected around Thiruvonam on August 26, passengers travelling from Chennai, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad and other distant cities would benefit from checking the additional services early rather than waiting until the final few days before Onam.
