The South Central Railway (SCR) has announced a series of special train services to facilitate the movement of devotees travelling to Sabarimala during the pilgrimage season. A special train (Train No. 07113) will run between Cherlapally and Kollam from November 18 to January 13, departing Cherlapally every Tuesday. The service will pass through major stations including Secunderabad, Lingampalli, Vikarabad, Raichur, Guntakal, Tirupati, Erode, Palakkad, Ernakulam Town and Kottayam before reaching Kollam.
The return train (Train No. 07114) will operate from Kollam to Cherlapally every Thursday between November 20 and January 15. Within the SCR zone, a Kakinada Town–Kottayam special (Train No. 07109) will run every Monday from November 17 to January 19, with the return service (Train No. 07110) operating every Tuesday from November 18 to January 20.
SCR has also scheduled special trains between HS Nanded and Kollam (Train Nos. 07111/07112) during the same period, the railway zone said in a statement on Saturday.
South Central Railway network modernisation
In other developments, the Ministry of Railways has cleared a set of major infrastructure upgrades aimed at strengthening and modernising key segments of the South Central Railway network. The projects, worth over Rs 1,900 crore, are designed to enhance safety, increase train speeds and improve overall operational efficiency across high-traffic corridors.
According to officials, the modernisation efforts will focus on the Pagidipalli-Guntur and Motumarri-Vishnupuram sections. The approved works include comprehensive track renewal, replacement of aging rails and sleepers, electrification enhancements and reinforcement of bridges and culverts.