As the Diwali festival approaches on October 31, an estimated 10 lakh people are expected to leave Chennai to celebrate in their hometowns. To accommodate the massive exodus, over 11,000 government buses and more than 10 special trains will be operated from Chennai.Diwali is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in Tamil Nadu, with hundreds of thousands of people from major cities like Chennai and Coimbatore traveling back to their native places. To facilitate this movement, special transportation arrangements have been made, with the Tamil Nadu government announcing additional buses and special trains.
From Chennai, 11,176 buses will be operated over three days, in addition to the 2,092 buses that run daily. The State Transport Department also announced that private buses will be hired on a contract basis to meet the high demand for travel during this festive season.
The Southern Railway has also announced over 10 special trains on key routes to Madurai, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari, Sengottai, and Coimbatore. In addition to the regularly scheduled 2,500 buses, another 1,000 omni buses will be running across Tamil Nadu, according to private bus operators.
Apart from buses and trains, a significant number of people are expected to travel by private vehicles, including cars. With this surge in travel, authorities estimate that over 10 lakh people will leave Chennai for their hometowns to celebrate Diwali this year.