Lok Sabha Question No. 379 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Vande Bharat from Chennai to Kanyakumari
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Thiru Thanga Tamilselvan, Dr. Ganapathy Rajkumar P

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 379 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026

## VANDE BHARAT FROM CHENNAI TO KANYAKUMARI

- *379. THIRU THANGA TAMILSELVAN: DR. GANAPATHY RAJKUMAR P:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any proposal to introduce a Vande Bharat train from  Chennai  to Kanyakumari  via  Madurai  and  Chennai  to Kanyakumari via Coimbatore; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) and (b): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) AND (b) OF STARRED QUESTION NO.379 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 IN LOK SABHA

(a) and (b) To facilitate the passengers of Chennai - Madurai - Kanniyakumari sector, 16121/16122 Tambaram - Thiruvananthapuram Central Amrit Bharat Express  (via  Madurai  and  Nagercoil  Town)  has  been  introduced  w.e.f. 23.01.2026.

In addition, 20627/20628 Chennai Egmore - Nagercoil Vande Bharat Express has also been introduced to facilitate the passengers of Chennai - Madurai Kanniyakumari  sector.  Accordingly,  Chennai  -  Madurai  -  Kanniyakumari sector is presently served by the following 24 train services:

|   Sl. | Train No. and Name                                                     |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     1 | 20627/20628 Chennai Egmore - Nagercoil Vande Bharat Express            |
|     2 | 16121/16122 Tambaram - Thiruvananthapuram Central Amrit Bharat Express |
|     3 | 12633/12634 Chennai Egmore - Kanniyakumari Express                     |
|     4 | 12641/12642 Kanniyakumari - Hazrat Nizamuddin Express                  |
|     5 | 12665/12666 Howrah - Kanniyakumari Express                             |
|     6 | 12667/12668 Tambaram - Kanniyakumari Express                           |
|     7 | 12689/12690 MGR Chennai Central - Kanniyakumari Express                |
|     8 | 16127/16128 Chennai Egmore - Guruvayur Express                         |
|     9 | 16367/16368 Kanniyakumari - Banaras Express                            |
|    10 | 20635/20636 Chennai Egmore - Kollam Express                            |
|    11 | 20691/20692 Tambaram - Nagercoil Express                               |
|    12 | 22657/22658 Tambaram - Kanniyakumari Express                           |

Further, Chennai - Coimbatore sector is served by 48 train services while Coimbatore - Kanniyakumari sector is served by 18 train services as listed below.

## Chennai - Coimbatore sector:

|   Sl. | Train No. and Name                                                   |
|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     1 | 12243/12244 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Shatabdi Express        |
|     2 | 12507/12508 Silchar - Thiruvananthapuram Central Express             |
|     3 | 12511/12512 Gorakhpur - Thiruvananthapuram North Express             |
|     4 | 12515/12516 Coimbatore - Silchar Express                             |
|     5 | 12521/12522 Barauni - Ernakulam Express                              |
|     6 | 12623/12624 MGR Chennai Central - Thiruvananthapuram Central Express |
|     7 | 12671/12672 MGR Chennai Central - Metupalaiyam Express               |
|     8 | 12673/12674 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Express                 |
|     9 | 12675/12676 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Express                 |
|    10 | 12679/12680 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Express                 |
|    11 | 12681/12682 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Express                 |
|    12 | 12695/12696 MGR Chennai Central - Thiruvananthapuram Central Express |
|    13 | 12969/12970 Coimbatore - Jaipur Express                              |
|    14 | 13351/13352 Dhanbad - Alappuzha Express                              |

|   15 | 16159/16160 Chennai Egmore - Mangalore Central Express               |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   16 | 20643/20644 MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express    |
|   17 | 22207/22208 MGR Chennai Central - Thiruvananthapuram Central Express |
|   18 | 22637/22638 MGR Chennai Central - Mangalore Central Express          |
|   19 | 22639/22640 MGR Chennai Central - Alappuzha Express                  |
|   20 | 22641/22642 Thiruvananthapuram Central - Shalimar Express            |
|   21 | 22643/22644 Ernakulam - Patna Express                                |
|   22 | 22645/22646 Indore - Thiruvananthapuram North Express                |
|   23 | 22647/22648 Korba - Thiruvananthapuram North Express                 |
|   24 | 22669/22670 Ernakulam - Patna Express                                |

## Coimbatore - Kanniyakumari sector:

|   Sl. | Train No. and Name                                               |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     1 | 12659/12660 Nagercoil - Shalimar Express                         |
|     2 | 16317/16318 Kanniyakumari - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Express |
|     3 | 16321/16322 Nagercoil - Coimbatore Express                       |
|     4 | 16381/16382 Pune - Kanniyakumari Express                         |
|     5 | 16525/16526 Kanniyakumari - KSR Bengaluru Express                |

|   6 | 20603/20604 New Jalpaiguri - Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express   |
|-----|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|   7 | 22503/22504 Kanniyakumari - Dibrugarh Express                 |
|   8 | 22619/22620 Bilaspur - Tirunelveli Express                    |
|   9 | 22667/22668 Nagercoil - Coimbatore Express                    |

Besides, introduction of new trains including Vande Bharat train services on any route/section, which is an on-going process, depends on various factors which include:

-  Capacity of that section
-  Availability of path
-  Availability of required rolling stock
-  Availability of matching infrastructure for rolling stock
-  Maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets

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