Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Vande Bharat Express (Train nos. 20627/20628) with four additional chair car coaches starting May 8, 2025.
Announced on May 2, 2025, this upgrade will expand the train’s capacity to 20 coaches in both directions, addressing the surging demand on the 727-km route, which sees 1,200 daily passengers during peak seasons, per Southern Railway data. The move promises smoother journeys for families, students, and professionals across Tamil Nadu’s bustling corridor. For commuters like Priya, a teacher from Madurai, the extra coaches are a godsend. The Vande Bharat, slashing travel time to 8 hours 55 minutes compared to 12 hours on the Pothigai Express, is a lifeline for weekend travellers and festival-goers heading to Nagercoil’s temple towns or Chennai’s IT hubs. With summer vacations and the Kanyakumari pilgrimage season driving a 30% spike in bookings, as reported by The Hindu, the current 16-coach setup—offering 1,128 seats—was stretched thin. The new 20-coach configuration, adding 384 seats, ensures more families can secure tickets without the scramble, with fares holding steady at ₹1,660 for Chair Car and ₹3,045 for Executive Class.
The augmentation aligns with India’s push for sustainable rail travel. The Vande Bharat’s electric multiple-unit design, consuming 30% less energy than conventional trains, supports Tamil Nadu’s goal to cut transport emissions, which account for 13% of the state’s 112 million tonnes of CO2 annually. Southern Railway’s proactive step, backed by Integral Coach Factory’s rapid coach supply, avoids the delays plaguing other zones, where only 136 of 400 planned Vande Bharat trains operate, per a 2024 Mint report. Challenges remain. Peak-hour congestion at Chennai Egmore, handling 1.5 lakh passengers daily, and Nagercoil’s limited platform capacity may strain operations. Southern Railway plans to deploy additional staff and real-time crowd monitoring, as seen during the 2024 Pongal rush. Commuters are advised to book via the IRCTC app and arrive early to navigate the expected 10% footfall surge, per station data.
For Tamil Nadu’s travellers, the enhanced Vande Bharat is more than a train—it’s a bridge connecting dreams, from a student’s job interview in Chennai to a grandmother’s pilgrimage in Nagercoil. By boosting capacity, Southern Railway is ensuring that every journey is not just faster but fairer, greener, and more inclusive, paving the way for a connected, sustainable South India.
