In view of the Thaipusam festival and the upcoming weekend, the Transport Department has announced the operation of 1,005 special buses on Friday and Saturday to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic.
According to a statement issued by Managing Director of the State Express Transport Corporation, Mohan, heavy passenger movement is anticipated across Tamil Nadu on January 30 (Friday), January 31 (Saturday), and February 1 (Sunday) due to the festival and weekend holidays.
To accommodate the increased demand, special buses will be operated in addition to regular services.
Special Bus Services
- From Kilambakkam Bus Terminus, special buses will operate to Tiruvannamalai, Tiruchirappalli, Kumbakonam, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Thoothukudi, Coimbatore, Salem, Erode, and Tiruppur.
- January 30: 360 buses
- January 31: 485 buses
- From CMBT, Koyambedu, special buses will operate to Tiruvannamalai, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Hosur, and Bengaluru.
- From Madhavaram, additional services will also be operated on both days.
In addition, 200 special buses will operate from cities including Bengaluru, Tiruppur, Erode, and Coimbatore to various destinations. On Sunday, special buses will be operated based on demand to facilitate passengers returning to Chennai and Bengaluru.
Special Trains to Palani for Thaipusam
Southern Railway has also announced unreserved special express trains between Madurai Junction and Palani on the occasion of Thaipusam.
- Train No. 06145 will depart Madurai Junction at 6:00 AM on February 1, 2026, reaching Palani at 8:30 AM.
- Train No. 06146 will depart Palani at 2:25 PM and reach Madurai Junction at 5:00 PM on the same day.
The trains will halt at Sholavandan, Kodaikanal Road, Ambathurai, Dindigul, and Ottanchatram.
