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Thousands of people are preparing to visit the Thirunallar Temple in Karaikal for the Sani Peyarchi festival on March 6, 2026. This festival happens once every two and a half years and draws large crowds of devotees from several parts of the country. Because so many people travel to attend
it, local groups are asking the railway authorities to run special trains to make travel easier.
New Trains from Karaikal to Peralam
Although a new broad-gauge rail line from Karaikal to Peralam via Tirunallar was completed in May 2025, regular passenger trains have not yet started running on it. In the past, special trains were arranged for other big religious events such as the Velankanni and Nagore festival seasons. Because the new line is ready but not fully in use, rail users, traders, and local organisations are asking for special trains to run from March 4 to March 8, especially if normal train services do not begin from March 1.
Other Special Trains
They have suggested several routes for these special services. Some of the requests include trains from Tambaram to Karaikal, Puducherry to Karaikal via Tirunallar, and from cities like Madurai and Tiruchy directly to Tirunallar. Devotees and business representatives also want certain regular trains to be extended so they stop at Tirunallar. These include the Karaikal-Tambaram Express, the Velankanni-Egmore train, the Karaikal-Bengaluru train, and the Karaikal-Mumbai Weekly. Additionally, they have proposed extending trains such as the Tiruchy-Tiruvarur and Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai services so they go via Tirunallar and Karaikal.
Demand for Special Train Services
To support these demands, people have organised protests and submitted petitions to railway officials. Traders in Nagapattinam even held a shutdown to press for better rail connectivity. Political leaders have also joined in demonstrations at Nagapattinam railway station to highlight the need for more train services for pilgrims. Railway officials from the Southern Railway's Tiruchy Division have said that they will consider these requests.
