Kerala Gets First Vistadome Coach on Madurai-Guruvayur Express

Southern Railway has introduced its first-ever Vistadome coach on the Kerala-bound Guruvayur Express to let passengers enjoy panoramic views of the scenic Sengottai-Punalur Ghat section.

Schedule and Train Details

SN Narain, Chief Public Relations Officer of Southern Railway, stated that the coach is added to train numbers 16327 and 16328, the Madurai-Guruvayur-Madurai Express, on a temporary trial basis. The coach will run until January 16, 2027. It operates from Madurai between October 22, 2026, and January 15, 2027, on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. From Guruvayur, it runs between October 23, 2026, and January 16, 2027, on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. Reservations for this Executive AC Chair Car are now open.

Coach Composition

The train's layout now includes one Vistadome coach, one AC three-tier coach, two sleeper-class coaches, seven general second-class coaches, one Divyangjan-friendly second-class coach, and one luggage-cum-brake van. The full route covers about 519 kilometres in 14 hours and 40 minutes, stopping at 54 stations along the way between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. According to the Ministry of Railways, Vistadome coaches feature large side windows and glass roof panels to improve passenger comfort and sightseeing on scenic routes.

Context

Vistadome coaches are specialised railway carriages deployed by Indian Railways on select scenic mountain and coastal routes to boost tourism by offering unobstructed outdoor views through large glass roofs and wide windows.