In anticipation of the increased travel demand during the Pongal festival, Southern Railway has introduced several special trains connecting key cities in Tamil Nadu. The first is the Tirunelveli-Tambaram Weekly Festival Special (Train Nos. 06092/06091), with three services running from Tirunelveli to Tambaram and back. The train from Tirunelveli departs at 3:30 PM on January 12, 19, and 26, arriving at 4:10 AM the next day, while the return train from Tambaram departs at 3:30 PM on January 13, 20, and 27, reaching Tirunelveli at 4:55 AM the following day. The Tambaram-Kanniyakumari Festival Special (Train Nos. 06093/06094) has a single service, with the train from Tambaram leaving at 10:30 PM on January 13 and arriving in Kanniyakumari at 12:30 PM the next day. The return service departs from Kanniyakumari at 3:30 AM on January 14, reaching Tambaram at 6:15 AM. For passengers traveling between Chennai Central and Nagercoil, the Weekly Festival Special (Train Nos. 06089/06090) operates two services, with departures from Chennai Central at 11:30 PM on January 12 and 19, and from Nagercoil at 7:00 PM on January 13 and 20. Finally, the Ramanathapuram-Tambaram Bi-Weekly Festival Special (Train Nos. 06104/06103) will operate with three services, with trains from Ramanathapuram to Tambaram departing at 3:30 PM on January 10, 12, and 17, and return trains from Tambaram to Ramanathapuram leaving at 5:00 PM on January 11, 13, and 18.Advance reservations for these special trains will open on January 5, 2025, at 8:00 AM. Travelers can book their tickets through the Indian Railways website or at designated reservation counters.
