Kochi: Kerala will soon get a daily train to Rameswaram. The service of the Thiruvananthapuram-Madurai Amritha Express will soon be extended to Rameswaram.
The railways had earlier objected to Kerala's demand for extending the Amritha Express, by citing that there wasn't sufficient time to fill water and clean the train.
However, the railways will now overcome this technical obstacle by modernising the rake link of the Amritha Express and interchanging it with the Chennai-Rameswaram Express.
The Chennai-Rameswaram train that reaches Rameswaram by 8.35 am will commence its journey to Kerala as Amritha Express at 12 noon. Similarly, the Amrita Express that reaches Rameswaram at 2 pm will proceed as the train to Chennai at 5 pm.
The Amrita Express, currently with 19 coaches, will now get an additional first class cum second AC coach and 2 sleeper coaches. The two sleeper coaches will be added on March 15.
Also, the Punalur-Madurai passenger (56700/01 via Kollam-Thiruvanthapuram) will run as an express train from June 30 onwards. The new train number is 16729/30.
Punalur-Madurai Express will increase speed by 1 hour and Madurai-Punalur Express by 20 minutes. One 3rd AC and three sleeper coaches have been allocated additionally.
The railways is also considering extending the Guruvayur-Punalur passenger as an intercity express to Madurai.
