NE BUSINESS BUREAU
CHENNAI, MAY 3
Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology flagged off two New Train services – Dr MGR Chennai Central – Bhagat Ki Kothi (Jodhpur) Express, located about 3.5 km from Jodhpur, a major tourist hub and Pune (Hadapsar) – Jodhpur Express, at a brief function held at Pune Railway station on Saturday.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism; Murlidhar Mohol, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation graced the function held in Pune. Dr. L. Murugan, Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs joined the function virtually from Mumbai.
New Superfast Train Launched!🚆
The Dr MGR #Chennai Central – Bhagat Ki Kothi Express is now live, boosting rail links between #TamilNadu & #Rajasthan 🙌
✅5 Days a Week
✅Faster, Comfortable Travel
✅Connects Key Cities & Regions#SouthernRailway #IndianRailways pic.twitter.com/TzJo2jweVO— Southern Railway (@GMSRailway) May 3, 2025
- Regular operations will commence on May 5 from Chennai Central and May 7 from Bhagat Ki Kothi
- Key En-route Stoppages are Gudur, Nellore, Ongole, Vijayawada, Warangal, Chandrapur, Wardha, Akola, Bhusaval, Nandurbar, Bharuch, Vadodara, Sabarmati, Mahesana, Bhildi, Raniwara, Marwar Bhinmal, Jalor, Samdari, and Luni
At Dr MGR Chennai Central, Vanathi Srinivasan, MLA attended the event from where the inaugural special of Dr. MGR Chennai Central – Bhagat Ki Kothi Superfast Express was flagged off through Video Conferencing from Pune. The event was live streamed at Dr MGR Chennai Central.
R.N. Singh, General Manager, Southern Railway; Kaushal Kishore, Additional General Manager, Southern Railway; Viswanath B. Eerya, Divisional Railway Manager, Chennai, Officers & Staff of Southern Railway, Members of Rajasthani Association and Bharat Mata Association, and rail passengers participated.
Train No.20625/20626 Dr MGR Chennai Central – Bhagat Ki Kothi – Dr MGR Chennai Central Superfast Express
The New Train No. 20625/20626 Dr MGR Chennai Central – Bhagat Ki Kothi Superfast Express will strengthen the interstate rail connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan. The train will operate five days a week, catering to growing passenger demand between South India and the Marwar region of western Rajasthan.
According to an official release, the new train will depart from Chennai Central at 7.45 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving at Bhagat Ki Kothi at 12.15 pm on the third day. In the return direction, it will leave Bhagat Ki Kothi at 5.30 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, reaching Chennai at 11.15 pm on the next day.
Key En-route Stoppages are Gudur, Nellore, Ongole, Vijayawada, Warangal, Chandrapur, Wardha, Akola, Bhusaval, Nandurbar, Bharuch, Vadodara, Sabarmati, Mahesana, Bhildi, Raniwara, Marwar Bhinmal, Jalor, Samdari, and Luni.
The train consists of 22 coaches, including 6 Sleeper class coaches, 4 AC 3-tier, 4 AC 3-tier economy coaches, 2 AC 2-tier coaches, 4 General Second Class, 1 Second Class Coach (Divyangjan friendly) & 1 Luggage-cum-brake van, ensuring a comfortable travel experience for all passenger segments.
This new service adds to the fleet of existing trains from South India to Rajasthan—such as MAS Jaipur Express (12967), Anuvrat Express (22631), and BGKT Humsafar Express (20482)—by offering direct access to the Marwar region, including commercial halts at Bhildi, Jalor, Samdari, and Luni, which are underserved by other Chennai-originating trains. With the launch of this new train, the number of direct services from Chennai to Rajasthan rises to five, offering enhanced frequency and wider regional access. This train notably connects Bhagat Ki Kothi, catering to passengers from Jodhpur and the surrounding districts including Jalor, Barmer, and Pali, which are not well-served by other Chennai-origin trains.
Currently, 7 express trains operate from/pass through Southern Railway to Rajasthan, connecting major cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mysuru and Coimbatore, to destinations such as Jaipur and Jodhpur.
Many Rajasthan natives who migrated to Tamil Nadu 50-60 years ago and have since settled across the state face significant travel challenges due to the lack of a daily service.
