Tamil Nadu: Southern Railway has announced temporary route changes for three major express trains due to ongoing maintenance work in the Dindigul section. These changes will be effective from different dates, and trains will be diverted via alternate routes. The railway issued an official press release in this regard on Thursday.
According to information, the biweekly Nagercoil–Lokmanya Tilak Express (train number 16352) will operate via a different route from Dindigul from May 3 to June 7. The train will now travel via Madurai, Manamadurai, Karaikudi, and Trichy to reach its destination. According to the railway, this change has been made due to track improvement and maintenance work.
Similarly, the route of the weekly high-speed train between Kanyakumari and Howrah has also been changed. From May 2 to June 6, the train will operate via Virudhunagar, Manamadurai, Karaikudi, and Trichy instead of the Kodaikanal Road and Dindigul section. This change is aimed at maintaining safe and smooth train operations.
In addition, the route of the Kanyakumari–Hyderabad Weekly Express train (No. 17170) has also been changed. From May 1 to June 5, the train will run via Madurai, Manamadurai, Karaikudi, and Trichy instead of Kodaikanal Road and Dindigul.
According to railway officials, track repair and technical improvement work is underway in the Dindigul section, necessitating this temporary change. During this time, passengers will have to travel via alternative routes. The Railways has urged passengers to ensure they are informed of the new train routes and timings before their journey to avoid any inconvenience.
Southern Railway has also clarified that these trains will return to their scheduled routes after the maintenance work is completed. This step has been taken keeping in mind passenger safety and the quality of train operations.
This change may temporarily increase train traffic at some stations on the Southern Railway network, while efforts are being made to expedite the completion of work on the Dindigul section.
The railway administration has stated that the maintenance work is necessary to ensure long-term smooth rail services, and therefore, passengers’ cooperation is requested.
