Passengers travelling to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra will get additional AC accommodation this month as Southern Railway augments two long-distance services amid rising travel demand.
Southern Railway has announced the temporary addition of AC Three Tier coaches to the Kanniyakumari-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Himsagar Express and the Tirunelveli-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Navyug Express.
Train No. 16317/16318 Himsagar Express will be augmented with one AC Three Tier coach from Kanniyakumari between June 12 and June 26 and from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra between June 15 and June 29.
Train No. 16787/16788 Navyug Express will receive one AC Three Tier coach from Tirunelveli between June 15 and June 29 and from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra between June 18 and July 2.
Extra AC capacity added on Katra routes
Following the augmentation, the Himsagar Express will operate with five AC Three Tier coaches, while the Navyug Express will run with four AC Three Tier coaches and two AC Three Tier Economy coaches.
The move has been planned to accommodate increased passenger demand on the popular north-south routes.
Both services are among the longest-distance trains in the country and witness strong patronage during the holiday and pilgrimage season.
Patna, Guwahati trains to run on diverted route
In a separate development, South Coast Railway has announced diversions for two long-distance services due to engineering works in the Moradabad-Gannavaram section of Vijayawada Division.
Train No. 22643 Ernakulam-Patna Superfast Express, departing on June 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 and July 6 and 7, will operate via Vijayawada, Gudivada and Nidadavolu.
Train No. 12509 SMVT Bengaluru-Guwahati Superfast Express will also run via Vijayawada, Gudivada and Nidadavolu on June 17, 24 and July 1.
Passengers have been advised to check revised schedules and route changes before commencing their journey.