Southern Railway will operate five weekly Chennai–Kollam Express Special train services in October to manage the expected passenger rush during Gandhi Jayanthi and the Pooja festival season, with reservations opening at 8am on September 23.
The Chennai Egmore–Kollam Weekly Express Special, Train No. 06117, will depart from Chennai Egmore at 11.40pm on October 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29. It will arrive at Kollam at 4.20pm the following day.
The return service, Train No. 06118, will leave Kollam at 6.45pm on October 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30. The train is scheduled to reach Chennai Egmore at 12.30pm the next day.
Southern Railway will also run another weekly service, Train No. 06121, from Chennai Egmore to Kollam. It will depart at 11.40pm on October 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31, reaching Kollam at 4.20pm the following day.
Its return service, Train No. 06122, will leave Kollam at 6.45pm on October 4, 11, 18 and 25, and November 1. Unlike the onward service, this train will arrive at Dr MGR Chennai Central at 11.35am the next day.
Both sets of services will stop at Perambur, Tiruvallur, Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tirupur, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrissur, Aluva, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Changanasseri, Thiruvalla, Chengannur, Mavelikara and Kayamkulam, in addition to their originating and terminating stations.
The route links Chennai with major railway points across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, including Salem, Erode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam and the central Travancore region. The extended list of stops gives passengers from several intermediate cities an additional reserved travel option during a period when demand typically rises for festival journeys.
The services have been scheduled as special trains rather than permanent timetable additions. Their operation is limited to the announced dates, with the second return service extending into November 1 because of the weekly departure pattern.
Passengers planning travel on these trains will be able to make reservations from 8am on September 23. Southern Railway has announced the services specifically to clear additional passenger traffic linked to Gandhi Jayanthi and the Pooja festival season. The railway administration’s next operational milestone is the opening of reservations on that date.
