The Southern Railway has announced the introduction of special train services, including the Vande Bharat, to accommodate the surge of passengers during the ongoing Sabarimala pilgrimage season. This move aims to address the increased demand for transportation to and from the Sabarimala hill shrine.

In an announcement made on social media platform X (formerly twitter), the Southern Railway revealed its plan to operate the Vande Bharat Sabari Special trains. One of these will run between Chennai Central and Kottayam, while another will connect Kacheguda and Kollam with a special fare train service.

The Vande Bharat Special, numbered 06151, will depart from MGR Chennai Central at 4:30 am on December 15, 17, 22, and 24, reaching Kottayam at 4:15 pm on the same day. Its return journey, train number 06152, will leave Kottayam at 4:40 am on December 16, 18, 23, and 25, arriving at MGR Chennai Central at 5:15 pm on the same day. This service will include stops at designated stations such as Katpadi, Salem, Palakkad, and Aluva.

Additionally, another train service, train number 07109, will depart from Kacheguda in Telangana at 11:45 pm on December 18 and 25, as well as on January 1, 8, and 15, reaching Kollam at 5:30 am on the third day of its journey. Its return journey, train number 07110, will leave Kollam at 10:45 am on December 20 and 27, as well as on January 3, 10, and 17, arriving at Kacheguda at 3:45 pm on the second day.

This initiative comes in response to recent issues of mismanagement due to a sudden surge in pilgrim numbers at the Sabarimala hill shrine. The Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which commenced on November 17 this year, is well-known for attracting a substantial influx of devotees, prompting Indian Railways to introduce these special train services to ensure smoother travel for pilgrims.

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