RailEnquiry

MADURAI: The much-awaited Madurai - Kacheguda Weekly Express, which will connect the temple city with the city of Nizams, will be inaugurated from here on Wednesday. However, the regular services will commence on June 1 from Kacheguda and on June 2 from Madurai.According to a railway statement, train number 07615 Kacheguda - Madurai inaugural special has already departed from Kacheguda on Tuesday at 11am and is scheduled to arrive in Madurai at 12 noon on Wednesday. In the return direction, train number 07616 Madurai - Kacheguda inaugural special will leave Madurai on Wednesday 2.30pm to reach Kacheguda at 4pm on Thursday.The regular timings for the service will be as follows: train number 17615 Kacheguda - Madurai Weekly Express will leave Kacheguda at 6.05am every Saturday from June 1 onwards and arrive Madurai at 7am the next day. In the return direction, train number 17616 Madurai - Kacheguda Weekly Express will leave Madurai at 12. 50pm every Sunday from June 2 onwards and reach Kacheguda at 2.05pm the next day.

The trains will halt at Mahboobnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool Town, Dhone, Ananthapur, Dharmavaram, Madanapalle Road, Piler, Pakala, Chittoor, Katpadi, Ambur, Vaniyambadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Karur, Tiruchchirrapalli, Dindigul and Kodaikanal Road stations in both the directions. The trains will have 18 coaches comprising one AC II tier, two AC III tier, seven sleeper class, six general second class and two second class luggage-cum brake van. Advance reservation for the inaugural Train 07615 Madurai - Kacheguda weekly express is available for rail users with immediate effect. However, advance reservation for regular train services may be availed from Wednesday, the railway

statement said.

N Jegadeesan, former member of Zonal Rail Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) and president of Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Madurai said that the train will be helpful especially for the youth who are working in Hyderabad. "Next to Chennai and Bangalore, a good number of our youth from the region are working in IT companies in Hyderabad and the train will be very beneficial for them and their family members," he said. Besides, Hyderabad is also a good tourist destination, which many people from the region want to visit. "The flight service between Madurai - Hyderabad enjoys very good patronage due to the demand and the train service will also get the same patronage because it is cheaper," Jegadeesan further added.