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Two years after launch, India’s 27th Vande Bharat train gets 20-coach rake

20 Coach Vande Bharat Express Train: The Ministry of Railways is enhancing the seating capacity of the existing Vande Bharat trains to provide more comfortable journey for passengers.

2 min readSep 22, 2025 02:26 PM IST

India’s 27th Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 24, 2023. (Image: Southern Railway)

20 Coach Vande Bharat Express Train: The Ministry of Railways is enhancing the seating capacity of the existing Vande Bharat trains to provide more comfortable journey for passengers. As part of this initiative, the national transporter has revised the coach composition of the country’s 27th Vande Bharat Express train.

India’s 27th Vande Bharat Express Train: Route

India’s 27th Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 24, 2023. The train runs between Tirunelveli and Chennai Egmore. This train is being maintained and operated by the Southern Railway (SR) zone.

Also Read | Railways revises schedule of these 4 Vande Bharat trains – Full list

Chennai Egmore to Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Train

The Chennai Egmore to Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express train was launched with 16 coaches. However, with effect from September 24, 2025, the train will be augmented with four more coaches, taking the total number of coach count to 16. After augmentation, the Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express will run with 20 coaches i.e. 18 Chair Car coaches and 2 Executive Chair Car coaches.

Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Train To Run With 20 Coaches

Due to rising passenger demand and higher occupancy, the railways has decided to introduce a 20-coach rake for the Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express train. This will add 312 more seats to the existing 1128 seats and cater to the increased demand of commuters on this train (total 1440 seats).

Also Read | Mumbai suburban rail network: MRVC floats tender for 2,856 Vande Metro AC local train cars

Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Train: Distance, Travel Time

The Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express train covers a distance of 653 km in 07:45 hrs. This train operates on all days of the week except Tuesday.

Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Train: Stoppages

During its journey between Chennai Egmore and Tirunelveli, train number 20666/20665 Vande Bharat Express stops at six stations. These are: Tambaram, Villupuram, Tiruchchirappalli, Dindigul, Madurai and Virudunagar.

Anish Mondal

Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. Currently a member of the Indianexpress.com editorial team, Anish specializes in high-impact sectors. Professional Journey Anish began his career at the public broadcaster Rajya Sabha Television (now Sansad TV), where he developed a foundational understanding of legislative processes and national governance. In 2018, he transitioned to digital financial journalism at FinancialExpress.com, spending nearly six years refining his expertise in market trends and corporate reporting. Before joining The Indian Express in 2025, he served as a key contributor at ETNowNews.com. Education & Expertise Anish’s reporting is backed by a rigorous academic background in communication and the humanities: Master of Journalism and Mass Communication (MJMC) – Apeejay Stya University Post Graduate Diploma in Journalism and Production (PGTVRJP) – Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication Bachelor of Arts (English Honours) – University of Calcutta Areas of Coverage Connectivity: Detailed reporting on the expansion of Indian Railways and National Highway networks. ... Read More

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