More special trains to run this season

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Southern Railway is contemplating operation of more special trains on routes facing high demand this summer.

Senior railway officials told Deccan Chronicle that more special trains connecting Chennai with cities like Coimbatore, Nagercoil and Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu and Howrah among a few other cities in far off north might be run this summer.

An announcement is likely to be made early next week, officials added reasoning that the special trains have been filled evenly right now.

The demand so far has been specific and hence the services would be augmented after railways has a clear trend of the rush, officials opined.

As of now, 390 special services have been introduced in Southern Railway zone to meet the summer demand.

The numbers are likely to go up from next week and officials are expecting a few more special services to be sanctioned.

Currently, the demand is very high from mid April, officials pointed out adding that the service augmentation would focus on connecting the tourist destinations or cities close to the tourist hotspots.

For instance, there is mad rush for trains bound to Coimbatore and Madurai which are close to hill stations like Ooty and Kodaikanal.

Interestingly, the waiting list is very high for Coimbatore, Madurai and Tirunelveli bound trains from Chennai during the last week of March and the week afterward as summer vacation begins from late March.

Interestingly, for most others the summer vacation begins only by mid-April as the schools close for vacation then.