Realising a long-pending demand of passengers, the Thiruvananthapuram-Palakkad Amrita Express will be extended to Madurai from November first week.
Enhancing rail connectivity to the district, Chennai Central-Palani Express will be extended to Palakkad Junction in another week.
The special passenger train connecting Thiruchendur in Tamil Nadu with Palakkad Town will be extended to Palakkad Junction and operated permanently.
Rail time table
As per the new railway time table which will come into effect from November 1, Amrita Express from Thiruvananthapuram will reach Palakkad Junction at 7 a.m. and Madurai at 1.10 p.m. via Pollachi and Palani.
The return journey will begin from Madurai at 3.45 p.m. and the train will reach Palakkad at 9.15 p.m. before proceeding to Thiruvananthapuram.
The Chennai-bound express train via Palani will be a daily service.
It will leave Palakkad Junction at 3 p.m. and reach Chennai at 4.15 a.m. the following day. The train will leave Chennai Central at 9.40 p.m. and reach Palakkad Junction at 11 a.m. the following day.
While the Chennai train will stop at Kollangode on the recently gauge converted Palakkad-Pollachi stretch, Amrita Express will not have any stop between Palakkad and Pollachi. The Thiruchendur passenger will stop at the Pudunagaram, Muthalamada, and Meenakshipuram stations on the stretch.
“Palakkad is getting better rail connectivity with the extension of the new trains. However, our long-pending demand for direct trains to Rameswaram continues to remain unaddressed,” said Khader Moideen of the Palakkad-Pollachi Passengers Association.
