Mayiladuthurai–Coimbatore Jan Shatabdi Express
Mayiladuthurai–Coimbatore Jan Shatabdi Express is a Jan Shatabdi Express train connecting and in Tamil Nadu, India. The passenger service is one among the twenty Jan Shatabdi Express trains in India and other than Chennai Central–Vijayawada Jan Shatabdi Express that runs in Tamil Nadu and only Jan Shatabdi Express to run within the Tamil Nadu State. Overview. This passenger service was introduced under Jan Shatabdi Express, had its inaugural run on 20 January 2003 between and in Tamil Nadu, India, flagged-off by then Union Minister of State for Railways, A. K. Moorthy, as  a trial service for a limited period of three months. Apart from the Chennai Central–Vijayawada Jan Shatabdi Express running within Tamil Nadu, this service is one among twenty Jan Shatabdi Express trains in India. Service. During June 2004, the Southern Railway zone announced that the service would run until 15 July 2004. As the service initially received poor patronage the railways were forced to operate the service in reverse direction viz. Coimbatore–Thanjavur expecting a better response. During Railway Budget 2005–2006, Lalu Prasad Yadav, the then Minister of Railways announced the extension of service up to pending gauge conversion . The service was once again extended to , as announced during Railway Budget 2008–2009 by Lalu Prasad Yadav, the then Minister of Railways pending gauge conversion. The service initially numbered as 20832084 was changed to 1208312084 since December 2010 onwards as a part of train management system over the entire Indian Railways network. Rakes. The service initially had twelve bogies of Open coach type including couple of air-conditioned chair car coaches, which was reduced due to poor patronage towards June 2003, bringing down the number of rakes to seven including one air-conditioned chair car coach during the period of  extension in continuation of its service. During July 2011, one more bogie of Second Seating type was permanently augmented. Later it had 13 bogies all composing a single Air-conditioned Chair Car (CC), Ten Second Seating (2S) and Two luggage-cum-break van chair car coaches (SL1 & SL2). During December 2016, the service was permanently augmented by an additional air-conditioned chair car for both directions consolidating a total of two air-conditioned chair car coaches. Route. This Jan Shatabdi Express service initially originated from to via and with single rake halting back at Thanjavur Junction, had to reverse the  point of service owing to poor patronage. Despite extension of service, the train originating in Coimbatore Junction traverses through , , Erode Junction, , Tiruchirappalli Junction, where it reverses the loco and proceeds to Thanjavur Junction, and the final destination, . The service follows the same route and pattern during the return journey too. Demands. There are also demands to extend this train till Cuddalore Port Junction with a stoppage at Chidambaram in order to cater the needs of the people who comes as devotees of Chidambaram Thillai Natarajar Temple as well as the students of Annamalai University in this region because this region  doesn't have a direct train connectivity and proper bus connectivity with Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode. To reach coimbatore via train one have to go either puducherry or boarding cholan super fast express which xing with this jan shadabti at Mayiladuthurai junction. Developments. As a part of Go Green initiative, of the 6 chosen non-Air conditioned coach of this passenger train, one bearing No.CZ026256 was fitted with 16 solar photovoltaic panels capable of producing each and aggregating up to . Built at a cost of , the solar panels are designed to be capable of withstanding wind velocities, vibrations and shocks  while the train is running, and enough to power all the fans and lights in the coach in addition to saving of diesel per coach for every year. Thus becoming the first train in Southern Railway zone and South India as well to be fully operated with solar powered coaches. Being primarily maintained at Carriage and Works Depot in under Salem railway division, the train is one among the others to have retro fitment of Biotoilets at a cost of for each coach.