Rockfort Express to be ‘superfast’ from June

Southern Railway has announced that the Tiruchi – Chennai Egmore – Tiruchi Rockfort Expresses would be converted into superfast expresses from June.

The Chennai Egmore – Tiruchi Rockfort Express would become a superfast express with effect from June 7. It would be renumbered as Train No. 12653 from that date.

The Tiruchi – Chennai Egmore Rockfort Express would become a superfast express from June 8 and would be renumbered 12654.

The train would leave Chennai Egmore at 10.30 p.m. and reach Tiruchi at 4.30 a.m. It would depart Tiruchi at 10.35 p.m. and arrive at Chennai Egmore at 4.40 a.m.

Time reduced

The trains would stop at Mambalam, Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Tindivanam, Villupuram, Vriddhachalam, Pennadam, Ariyalur, Kallakudi Palanganatham, Lalgudi, Srirangam, Tiruchi Town and Ponmalai, a Southern Railway press release said.

Officials said the running time of these trains consequent to its conversion as superfast would be reduced by half-an-hour.

New coaches

Meanwhile, another release said LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) coaches had been allotted for the Chennai Egmore – Tiruchi – Chennai Egmore Cholan Express trains.

Consequently, the Chennai Egmore – Tiruchi Cholan Express would be converted into LHB stock from February 16 and the Tiruchi – Chennai Egmore Cholan express would be converted into LHB stock from February 17.

As a result, the composition of the trains would be revised. It would have one AC first class, three AC 2-tier, four AC three-tier, 10 sleeper class and two general second class coaches.

As per the revised timing with effect from February 16, the Chennai Egmore – Tiruchi Cholan express will leave Chennai Egmore at 8.30 a.m. and reach Tiruchi at 4.15 p.m.