Palakkad: In anticipation of the heavy rush of passengers traveling to and from Kerala during the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Central Railway has announced special trains to ease congestion.

As part of this initiative, a special train (Train No. 01463), Lokmanya Tilak (T) - Thiruvananthapuram North Special Express, will operate four services on Thursdays from December 19 to January 9, 2025. The first service will depart from Lokmanya Tilak (T) at 16:00 hrs on December 19 and will arrive at Thiruvananthapuram North at 22:45 hrs on December 20.

Train No. 01464, Thiruvananthapuram North - Lokmanya Tilak (T) Special Express, will also operate four services from December 21, 2024, to January 11, 2025. This special train will depart from Thiruvananthapuram North at 16:20 hrs on December 21 and will reach Lokmanya Tilak (T) at 00:45 hrs on December 23.

These services are expected to provide much-needed relief to thousands of Keralites planning their trips to and from Kerala during the holidays. There is a significant shortage of reservation availability on trains during this period, and passengers have been protesting, demanding additional services.