The Central Railway has decided to regularise the Pandharpur-Tirupati weekly special train service in view of growing passenger demand, providing improved rail connectivity between the major pilgrimage centres of Pandharpur in Maharashtra and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

According to a press release issued by the Solapur Division of Central Railway, the weekly special service will now operate as regular weekly train with new numbers starting May 16 and 17, respectively.

Train No 07012 Tirupati-Pandharpur Weekly Special will be converted into regular service as Train No 17437 Tirupati-Pandharpur Weekly on May 16.

Similarly, Train No 07032 Pandharpur-Tirupati Weekly Special will operate as Train No 17438 Pandharpur-Tirupati Weekly starting May 17.

Train No 17437 Tirupati-Pandharpur Weekly will leave Tirupati at 4 p.m. every Saturday and reach Pandharpur at 7 p.m. the following day.

In the return direction, Train No 17438 Pandharpur-Tirupati Weekly will leave Pandharpur at 8 p.m. every Sunday and arrive at Tirupati at 11.30 p.m. the next day.

The train will pass through several stations across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, including Kurduvadi, Barshi Town, Dharashiv, Latur, Latur Road, Udgir, Bidar, Zahirabad, Vikarabad, Lingampalli, Secunderabad, Kacheguda, Mahbubnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool City, Dhone, Gooty, Tadipatri, Kadapa and Renigunta.

Railway authorities said that the service will benefit a large number of devotees travelling to the pilgrimage centres associated with Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur and Lord Venkateswara at Tirupati.

The train will comprise 24 coaches, including one AC II-tier coach, three AC III-tier coaches, 14 sleeper class coaches, four general second-class coaches and two guard-cum-brake vans.

Reservations for the regular weekly services will be available through all computerised reservation centres and the official railway ticketing portal.

Unreserved tickets can also be booked through station booking counters and the RailOne App.