Southern Railway will operate unreserved special train services from Chennai and Tambaram to Manamadurai and Trichy between November 6 and 10 to manage the expected Diwali travel rush, giving passengers additional rail options for journeys to southern Tamil Nadu.
The services will use 12-car MEMU coaches and stop at designated stations along their routes. The additional trains are intended to serve passengers travelling from Chennai and its suburban rail network to their hometowns during the festival period, when demand for intercity transport typically rises sharply.
Train No. 06161 will leave Tambaram at 5.30pm on November 6 and reach Manamadurai at 3.45am on November 7. Its return service, Train No. 06162, will depart Manamadurai at 6.30am on November 7 and arrive at Tambaram at 3.45pm the same day.
Another service, Train No. 06159, will leave Tambaram at 4.35pm on November 7 and reach Manamadurai at 1.45am on November 8. The return train, No. 06160, will depart Manamadurai at 10pm on November 9 and reach Tambaram at 8.30am on November 10.
For passengers travelling towards central Tamil Nadu, Train No. 06191 will leave Chennai Egmore at 6.30pm on November 6 and reach Trichy at 4.45am on November 7. The return one-way service, Train No. 06192, will leave Trichy at 5.50am on November 7 and reach Tambaram at 11.30am the same day.
Train No. 06193 will depart Chennai Egmore at 7pm on November 7 and arrive at Trichy at 4.45am on November 8. Its return service, Train No. 06194, will leave Trichy at 10.45pm on November 9 and reach Chennai Egmore at 6.50am on November 10.
The services expand the available rail capacity during a concentrated travel window, particularly for passengers who may not have secured reserved tickets. Southern Railway has stated that the trains will operate with unreserved accommodation, while passengers will need to follow the designated stopping pattern and scheduled departure times for each service.
The special services will run only during the announced November 6-10 period. Passengers planning Diwali journeys from Chennai, Tambaram, Manamadurai and Trichy will therefore need to check the relevant train number, boarding station and timing before travel.
