07 May,2026 11:22 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Reservations for the regularised train services will be available at computerised reservation centres and through IRCTC. Representational Pic/File
The Central Railway on Thursday announced that the existing special weekly train services between Pandharpur and Tirupati will now operate as regular trains following growing passenger demand.
The move is expected to improve travel convenience for passengers and strengthen rail connectivity between two major pilgrimage destinations - Pandharpur, associated with Lord Vitthal, and Tirupati, home to Lord Venkateswara, a statement, issued by the Central Railway's Solapur division said.
Under the revised arrangement:
- Train No. 07012 Tirupati-Pandharpur Weekly Special will operate as regular Train No. 17437 Tirupati-Pandharpur Weekly from 16 May 2026.
- Train No. 07032 Pandharpur-Tirupati Weekly Special will operate as regular Train No. 17438 Pandharpur-Tirupati Weekly from 17 May 2026.
Timings of the weekly services
- Train No. 17437 Tirupati-Pandharpur Weekly
Departure from Tirupati: 4 pm every Saturday
Arrival at Pandharpur: 7 pm on the following day
- Train No. 17438 Pandharpur-Tirupati Weekly
Departure from Pandharpur: 8:00 pm every Sunday
Arrival at Tirupati: 11:30 pm on the following day
According to an official statement, the trains will stop at several key stations across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including Kurduvadi, Barshi Town, Dharashiv, Latur, Udgir, Bidar, Zahirabad, Vikarabad, Lingampalli, Begampet, Secunderabad, Kacheguda, Mahbubnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool City, Dhone, Gooty, Tadipatri, Cuddapah, Razampeta and Renigunta.
The weekly trains will consist of 24 coaches, including 1 AC Two-Tier coach, 3 AC Three-Tier coaches, 14 Sleeper Class coaches, 4 General Second Class coaches and 2 Guard-cum-Brake Vans.
Reservations for the regularised train services will be available at computerised reservation centres and through IRCTC, the statement said.
"Passengers can also book unreserved tickets through station booking counters and the RailOne app," official said.
Meanwhile, in an another statement, issued earlier this week, the Central Railway said that it will run 36 unreserved summer special train services between Diva and Chiplun in Maharashtra's Konkan region.
The services have been introduced to handle higher passenger demand during the summer season, officials said, adding that these trains will run on weekends- Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 1, 2026, to June 7, 2026.
Diva-Chiplun-Diva MEMU Tri-weekly unreserved special trains (36 services)
The special MEMU train service (01159/01160) will operate in both directions:
- From Diva to Chiplun: The train will leave Diva at 11:25 pm and reach Chiplun at 6:30 am the next day.
- From Chiplun to Diva: The return train will depart Chiplun at 3:30 pm and arrive at Diva at 11:10 pm the same day.
- Each direction will run 18 services, making a total of 36 trips.
The trains will stop at several stations along the Konkan route, including Nilaje, Panvel, Pen, Roha, Kolad, Mangaon, Khed and others, covering key stations along the coastal line. The service will use 8-coach MEMU rakes.
