Bookings have opened for the special train services between Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Velankanni, announced by Central Railway to cater to the additional passenger demand during the annual Velankanni Festival, according to an official release.
The festival special trains will operate later this month and in September, offering extra capacity for pilgrims and other travellers heading to the renowned pilgrimage destination in Tamil Nadu.
Passengers can now reserve tickets for the special trains through the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters as well as the IRCTC platform. The special services have been introduced to ease the expected rush during one of the busiest pilgrimage seasons of the year.
The trains will operate as Train No. 01161 Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Velankanni Express Special and Train No. 01162 Velankanni-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express Special, with two trips in each direction.
Special trains to run in August and September
According to the schedule, Train No. 01161 will depart from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 11:50 am on August 26 and September 7, reaching Velankanni at 2:00 am on the third day.
On the return journey, Train No. 01162 will leave Velankanni at 5:15 am on August 28 and September 9, reaching Lokmanya Tilak Terminus at 4:40 pm the following day.
The trains will halt at several important stations en route, including Thane, Kalyan, Lonavala, Pune, Daund, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Wadi, Yadgir, Raichur, Mantralayam Road, Adoni, Guntakal, Gooty, Tadipatri, Yerraguntla, Cuddapah, Razampeta, Renigunta, Katpadi, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram, Mayiladuturai and Nagapattinam, before terminating at Velankanni.
Multiple travel classes available for passengers
To accommodate the expected festival rush, the special trains will comprise 2 AC Two-Tier coaches, 8 AC Three-Tier coaches, 8 Sleeper Class coaches, 4 General Second Class coaches and 2 Divyangjan-friendly Second Class coaches, providing accommodation across premium, sleeper and unreserved categories.
The Velankanni Festival attracts thousands of devotees from Maharashtra and other parts of the country every year, leading to a sharp rise in demand for rail travel on the route. The additional services are expected to reduce pressure on regular trains while offering passengers a direct and convenient travel option between Mumbai and the famous pilgrimage town.
With reservations now open, passengers planning to travel during the festival period can book tickets in advance through authorised railway booking channels. Central Railway regularly introduces festival special trains during peak travel seasons to manage higher passenger volumes and improve travel convenience, and the Mumbai-Velankanni specials form part of these seasonal arrangements for the upcoming pilgrimage season.