Southern Railway has announced route diversions, rescheduling and en-route regulation for several long-distance trains linking Tamil Nadu with northern India during September and October 2026. The changes are tied to yard remodelling at Agasod in Madhya Pradesh for works connected with the Jhansi–Bina third-line project, affecting services including the Tamil Nadu Express, Andaman Express, Sampark Kranti, Kongu Express and Puducherry–New Delhi Express.
Passengers travelling between Tamil Nadu and northern India will need to check their train schedules carefully in late September and October after Southern Railway notified a series of route and timing changes linked to railway infrastructure work at Agasod station in Madhya Pradesh.
The most extensive change affects Train No. 12621 Dr MGR Chennai Central–New Delhi Tamil Nadu Superfast Express. From September 26 to October 14, the train will run via Bhopal–Maksi–Guna–Gwalior, bypassing its normal route through Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi.
The return Train No. 12622 New Delhi–Dr MGR Chennai Central Tamil Nadu Superfast Express will use the reverse diversion via Gwalior, Guna, Maksi and Bhopal from October 2 to 14, also skipping Jhansi. Passengers booked to board or alight at Jhansi on affected dates therefore face the most significant route-level impact.
Southern Railway has also rescheduled Train No. 16031 Chennai Central–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Andaman Express on October 14. Instead of its scheduled 5.10 am departure, it will leave Chennai at 9.10 am — four hours late.
The Hazrat Nizamuddin–Madurai Sampark Kranti Superfast Express, Train No. 12652, scheduled for October 15, will depart Nizamuddin at 10.20 am instead of 5.20 am, a five-hour rescheduling.
Two other Tamil Nadu-linked services will be regulated en route on October 14. The Hazrat Nizamuddin–Coimbatore Kongu Superfast Express, Train No. 12648, will be delayed by about 1 hour 30 minutes over the Jhansi division, while Train No. 22403 Puducherry–New Delhi Superfast Express will be regulated by about one hour over the Bhopal division.
The operational changes are being introduced for yard remodelling associated with the railway’s capacity-expansion works around Agasod. A March 2026 government update said 133 km of the 153-km Jhansi–Bina third line had already been commissioned, leaving 20 km under execution, including the 8-km Agasod–Bina section.
Major Train Changes
| Train | Date/period | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 12621 Chennai Central–New Delhi Tamil Nadu SF | Sep 26–Oct 14 | Diverted via Bhopal–Maksi–Guna–Gwalior; skips Jhansi |
| 12622 New Delhi–Chennai Central Tamil Nadu SF | Oct 2–14 | Reverse diversion; skips Jhansi |
| 16031 Chennai Central–Katra Andaman Express | Oct 14 | Departs Chennai at 9.10 am, 4 hours late |
| 12652 Nizamuddin–Madurai Sampark Kranti | Oct 15 | Departs at 10.20 am, 5 hours late |
| 12648 Nizamuddin–Coimbatore Kongu SF | Oct 14 | Regulated/delayed 1 hr 30 min en route |
| 22403 Puducherry–New Delhi SF | Oct 14 | Regulated/delayed 1 hour en route |
