The South Central Railway (SCR) has issued an important travel advisory for Tirumala devotees planning their pilgrimage to Tirupati. To facilitate crucial railway infrastructure expansion and modernization works, authorities have announced the temporary cancellation and diversion of several trains heading towards the temple town. Since a vast majority of pilgrims from across the country rely on train services to reach Tirupati before heading uphill to the shrine, railway officials have urged passengers to take note of these scheduling changes and plan their travel itineraries accordingly to avoid any inconvenience.
The cancellations are primarily driven by yard remodeling and expansion works at the Arakkonam junction in Tamil Nadu, heavily impacting train operations along the vital Chennai Central – Tirupati route. Notably, the popular Sapthagiri Express running between Chennai Central and Tirupati has been cancelled on June 26 and June 28, affecting both the 6:30 AM and 2:24 PM services. Additionally, the Chennai Central – Tirupati Express (scheduled at 4:35 AM) stands cancelled on June 26, while the return Tirupati – Chennai Central service (scheduled at 10:10 AM) is cancelled on both June 26 and June 28. The Tirupati – Chennai Central morning and evening services at 6:05 AM and 6:05 PM have also been cancelled for June 26. Alongside these main lines, nearly 47 suburban local trains operating in the Arakkonam, Chennai Central, and Tiruttani sections have been partially affected or short-terminated at Thiruvalangadu.
Apart from the Chennai-Tirupati section, essential track maintenance works are also being executed between Mustabada and Gannavaram stations, leading to the diversion of several long-distance trains. The Bengaluru – Guwahati Superfast Express (12509), scheduled to run on June 17 and June 24, has been diverted to run via Vijayawada, Gudivada, and Nidadavolu instead of its regular route. Furthermore, the Dadar – Tirunelveli Express scheduled for June 23 and June 24 will be short-terminated and will only run up to Virudhunagar. Passengers are advised to check the live train status and updated schedules on the official IRCTC website or contact the railway helpline before commencing their journeys.
