Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) will operate 2,440 special buses between October 23 and 25 to manage the expected weekend travel rush from Chennai, Bengaluru and major cities across the state, with additional services planned for pilgrimage and return journeys.
From Kilambakkam bus terminus in Chennai, TNSTC will run 775 special buses on Friday, October 23, and another 485 on Saturday, October 24. These services will connect passengers to Tiruvannamalai, Trichy, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Tuticorin, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode and Tirupur.
Koyambedu bus terminus will operate 95 special buses on Friday and 85 on Saturday. The services will cover Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Hosur and Bengaluru. From Madhavaram bus terminus, 65 special buses will be operated on each of the two days to Kallakurichi, Tiruvannamalai, Trichy, Kumbakonam, Vellore, Hosur and Puducherry.
The corporation has separately planned 250 special buses to Tiruvannamalai on Sunday, October 25, to serve pilgrims expected to visit the town for circumambulation, or girivalam, around the Arunachala Hills. A further 100 special buses will operate from Bengaluru, Tirupur, Erode and Coimbatore to various destinations.
Return travel to Chennai and Bengaluru will receive additional capacity on Sunday. TNSTC will operate 805 special buses from various destinations on October 25, with the final deployment based on passenger demand. The arrangement is intended to address the heavier return movement after the weekend and reduce pressure on regular services.
According to the transport department, 12,884 passengers had booked tickets for travel on Friday, while 9,086 had booked for Saturday and 16,922 for Sunday. The department said bookings were expected to increase further as the weekend approached.
Passengers planning long-distance journeys have been advised to reserve seats in advance through the official TNSTC website or mobile application. The corporation’s schedule covers multiple departure points in Chennai as well as inter-city services, making the choice of terminus important for passengers travelling to different destinations.
The additional buses will be deployed alongside regular services during the three-day period. TNSTC has not provided a separate route-wise breakdown of the 805 Sunday return buses, saying their deployment will be based on passenger demand.
