Southern Railway Announces Onam Special Trains for Kerala; Weekly Services from Chennai, Tambaram and Mangaluru
Thiruvananthapuram: To manage the heavy rush of passengers during the Onam festival season, Southern Railway has announced a series of weekly special train services connecting Kerala with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The special trains will operate between July and September 2026, providing additional travel options for festival passengers and Sabarimala-bound devotees.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
Advance reservation for all special services will open on July 9, 2026, at 8:00 a.m.
Chennai Central–Kollam Express Specials (via Chengannur)
The Chennai–Kollam special service is expected to benefit passengers travelling to central Kerala, including Sabarimala pilgrims, as it passes through Chengannur, one of the nearest railway stations to the hill shrine.
Train No. 06119 (Dr. MGR Chennai Central–Kollam Express Special) will depart every Wednesday at 3:10 p.m., reach Chengannur at 4:10 a.m. the following day, and arrive at Kollam at 7:20 a.m.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
The train will stop at Arakkonam, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Podanur, Palakkad, Thrissur, Aluva, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Changanassery, Tiruvalla, Chengannur, Mavelikkara and Kayamkulam before terminating at Kollam.
The return service, Train No. 06120 (Kollam–Dr. MGR Chennai Central Express Special), will operate every Thursday, departing Kollam at 10:40 a.m., reaching Chengannur at 11:43 a.m., and arriving at Dr. MGR Chennai Central at 3:30 a.m. the next day. The train will halt at the same stations in the reverse direction.
Thiruvananthapuram Central–Tambaram Express Specials
Train No. 06110 (Thiruvananthapuram Central–Tambaram Express Special) will operate every Wednesday, departing Thiruvananthapuram Central at 3:45 p.m. and arriving at Tambaram at 10:00 a.m. the following day.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
The train will run via Varkala, Kollam, Kottarakkara, Auvaneswaram, Punalur, Sengottai, Tenkasi, Kadayanallur, Sankarankovil, Rajapalayam, Srivilliputtur, Sivakasi, Virudunagar, Madurai, Kodaikanal Road, Dindigul, Tiruchirappalli, Srirangam, Ariyalur, Vriddhachalam, Villupuram, Melmaruvathur and Chengalpattu.
The return service, Train No. 06109 (Tambaram–Thiruvananthapuram Central Express Special), will depart every Thursday at 2:00 p.m. and reach Thiruvananthapuram Central at 7:15 a.m. the next day. It will cover the same stations in the reverse direction.
Mangaluru Central–Chennai Egmore Express Specials
Train No. 06126 (Mangaluru Central–Chennai Egmore Express Special) will run every Monday, departing Mangaluru Central at 4:00 p.m. and arriving at Chennai Egmore at 10:55 a.m. the following day.(sabarimalauptodate.in)
The train will stop at Kasaragod, Kanhangad, Payyanur, Kannur, Thalassery, Vadakara, Kozhikode, Tirur, Shoranur, Palakkad, Podanur, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Katpadi and Arakkonam before reaching Chennai Egmore.
The return service, Train No. 06125 (Chennai Egmore–Mangaluru Central Express Special), will operate every Tuesday, departing Chennai Egmore at 2:00 p.m. and arriving at Mangaluru Central at 8:40 a.m. the following day. It will halt at the same stations in the reverse direction.
Southern Railway said the special services have been introduced to accommodate the increased passenger demand during the Onam travel season and to improve connectivity between Kerala and neighbouring states.
Railway is expected to announce additional Onam special train services from other cities, including Hyderabad Deccan and Andhra Pradesh cities, in the coming days to meet the anticipated surge in festival travel demand.