Southern Railway announced a Fixed Time Corridor Block in the Tiruchchirappalli Division during August and September 2026, causing rail blockages on the Delta section route. The maintenance work requires safety procedures affecting train services between Chennai Egmore and Tiruchchirappalli.
Cholan Express Route Diversions and Dates
The Chennai Egmore to Tiruchchirappalli Cholan Express (Train No. 22675) will be diverted for six days: August 5, 12, 14, 21, 26 and September 2, 2026. On August 5, 12, 14, and 21, the train will run via Cuddalore Port and Vriddhachalam, bypassing nine stations on its usual Delta route, including Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, and Thanjavur. For the August 26 and
September 2 services, it will operate via the Villupuram–Vriddhachalam route, skipping Panruti, Cuddalore Port, and the traditional Delta section.
Additional Halts and Affected Stations
To mitigate disruptions from bypassing the Delta section, additional stops will be made at Vriddhachalam, Ariyalur, Lalgudi, and Srirangam. This compensates for stations lost during the diversion, which excludes Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Panruti, and Cuddalore Port on specified dates.
Passenger travel between Chennai Egmore and Tiruchchirappalli will encounter these rerouted services with altered timing and stops, impacting usual travel itineraries on the Cholan Express.
The Jodhpur–Mannargudi Express will experience a one-hour delay between Chennai Egmore and Mundiyampakkam on August 6,
20, and 27, 2026. Additionally, the return Tiruchchirappalli to Chennai Egmore Cholan Superfast Express (Train No. 22676) will depart later at 12:45 pm instead of 12:10 pm on August 4, 11, and 18, 2026.
These schedule adjustments aim to accommodate the maintenance work while maintaining train services during the fixed corridor block in Tiruchchirappalli Division.
