Southern Railway has announced a series of operational changes affecting several long-distance express services due to ongoing redevelopment work at Chennai Egmore railway station. The changes will remain in force from December 15, 2025, to February 3, 2026, with multiple trains short-terminated, re-originated or diverted to ensure uninterrupted rail operations during the construction period.
To facilitate infrastructure upgrades at one of Chennai’s key terminal stations, passengers are advised to check revised boarding and deboarding points before travel.
Short Terminations of Train Services
As part of the regulation, several trains that normally terminate at Chennai Egmore will instead end their journeys at Tambaram or Chennai Beach for a limited period.
The 16866 Thanjavur–Chennai Egmore Uzhavan Express, running from December 15, 2025, to February 2, 2026, will terminate at Tambaram, reaching at 03.45 hrs. Similarly, the 20636 Kollam–Chennai Egmore Ananthapuri Superfast Express will also be short-terminated at Tambaram during the same period, with a scheduled arrival of 05.20 hrs.
The 16752 Rameswaram–Chennai Egmore Express will terminate at Tambaram at 06.45 hrs from December 15, 2025, to February 2, 2026. Meanwhile, the 12760 Hyderabad–Tambaram Charminar Superfast Express will terminate at Chennai Beach between January 1, 2026, and February 3, 2026, arriving at 07.00 hrs.
Change in Origination of Train Services
Several outbound services have also been rescheduled to originate from alternative terminals. The 16865 Chennai Egmore–Thanjavur Uzhavan Express, 20635 Chennai Egmore–Kollam Ananthapuri Express, and 16751 Chennai Egmore–Rameswaram Express will originate from Tambaram from December 16, 2025, to February 3, 2026, with revised departure timings of 23.00 hrs, 20.20 hrs and 19.42 hrs respectively.
In addition, the 22158 Chennai Egmore–Mumbai CSMT Superfast Express and the 12759 Tambaram–Hyderabad Charminar Superfast Express will originate from Chennai Beach during the regulation period.
Two weekly special services — 09419 Ahmedabad–Tiruchchirappalli Express Special and 09420 Tiruchchirappalli–Ahmedabad Express Special — will be diverted via Renigunta, Tiruttani, Katpadi and Vellore, skipping stops including Chennai Egmore, Tambaram and Chengalpattu. Both services will be provided with additional stoppages at Tiruttani, with revised arrival and departure timings as notified.
Southern Railway has advised passengers to plan their journeys accordingly and verify updated schedules through official railway enquiry platforms during the redevelopment phase at Chennai Egmore.