Tamilnadu E Pass For Railway Passengers
Guidelines for Rail Passengers traveling in Special trains run in the State of Tamil Nadu effective from June 1
Southern Railway has notified that the following special trains would be run within the State of Tamil Nadu from 1st of June, 2025.
1. T. No. 02083/02084 Coimbatore- Mayiladuturai – Coimbatore Janshatabdi special (Except Tuesdays)
2. T. No. 02636/02635 Madurai – Villupuram –Madurai Intercity Superfast special (daily)
3. T. No. 02627/02628 Tiruchchirappalli- Nagercoil – Tiruchchirappalli Superfast special (daily)
4. T. No. 02680/02679 Coimbatore- Katpadi- Coimbatore Intercity Superfast special (daily)
Besides, Dr MGR Chennai Central – New Delhi Rajdhani Express Special train services(Bi-weekly) will continue to be operated.
Tamil Nadu Government has announced a set of protocols and guidelines for movement , testing and quarantine of persons from other States to Tamil Nadu as well as for the movement of persons within the state. Accordingly the Government of Tamil Nadu has classified the state into 8 zones as under
| Sl.No | Zone | No. of Districts | Name of the District |
| 1 | Zone I | 7 | Coimbatore, Nilgiris,Erode,Tiruppur, Karur, Salem, Namakkal |
| 2 | Zone II | 5 | Dharmapuri, Vellore, Tirupathur, Ranipet, Krishnagiri |
| 3 | Zone III | 4 | Villupuram,Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Kallakurichi |
| 4 | Zone IV | 7 | Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Tanjore, Trichy, Ariyalur, Perambalur, Pudukottai |
| 5 | Zone V | 6 | Dindigul, Madurai, Theni, Virudhunagar, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram |
| 6 | Zone VI | 4 | Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Tenkasi |
| 7 | Zone VII | 3 | Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengallpattu |
| 8 | Zone VIII | 1 | Chennai Police Commisinerate limit |
Movement of rail passengers within the state of Tamil Nadu
a. For intra or inter district movement of rail passengers within the zone classified by government of Tamilnadu, TN-ePass is not required .
b. For the movement of rail passengers from one zone to another( other than zone 8), it is mandatory that rail passengers register the details online and obtain TNepass by applying on the website https://TNepass.tnega.org
Movement of rail passengers from Chennai ( Zone 8) to other zones
a. It is mandatory for rail passengers to register their details online and obtain TNepass by applying on the website https://TNepass.tnega.org
Movement from other states to Tamilnadu by regular train
It is mandatory for rail passengers to register their details online and obtain TNepass by applying on the website https://TNepass.tnega.org
Hence passengers are requested to apply for TNepass before starting their journey. This is only as per the requirement of Govt. of Tamilnadu.
The details of protocol for testing and quantantine issued by Tamilnadu government is available in the following link:
As per the requirement of State government Passengers are requested to carry the details of PNR number of their ticket, Name, address and phone numbers written/printed on a white paper. These details should be furnished for all the passengers booked under each PNR and handed over to the officials nominated by Railway administration at the time boarding at the originating station.
Here are the official passenger guidelines announced by Southern Railway for all special trains running within Tamil Nadu, effective June 1, 2025:
🚆 Applicability
These rules apply to all special train Services operated by Southern Railway within Tamil Nadu starting from June 1, 2025—including suburban, express, and festival extras such as the Summer 2025 specials.
👤 Major Guidelines for Passengers
✅ Boarding & Entry Rules
- Only passengers with Confirmed or RAC tickets are allowed entry into station premises.
- Waitlisted ticket holders (WL) are strictly prohibited from entering platforms or reserved coaches.
- WL passengers may only board Unreserved coaches and must wait at designated waiting areas outside platforms until the train arrives.
- These measures are enforced across major cities and divisions, including Chennai Egmore, Tirunelveli, Rameswaram, etc.
📅 Reservation Window
- The advance reservation period has been reduced to 60 days (excluding departure date), down from 120 days.
🛏 Special Quotas
- Lower berths are now automatically reserved (subject to availability) for:
- Senior citizens
- Women above 45
- Pregnant women
- Persons with disabilities
- These groups have increased quota visibility in Sleeper, 3AC, and 2AC classes.
🧳 Luggage Rules
- New weight limits for check-in baggage:
- 70 kg for 1AC
- 50 kg for 2AC
- 40 kg for Sleeper
- 35 kg for Second Class (2S)
- Over-length bags (>160 cm, with select exceptions up to 185 cm) may be rejected or incur surcharge.
🚨 Penalties
- Boarding reserved coaches (AC or Sleeper) with a WL ticket carries fines:
- ₹440 for AC coaches
- ₹250 for Sleeper coaches
- Plus fare from starting station to the next stop on that reserved coach class
📋 Quick Reference Table
| Scenario | Action / Policy |
|---|---|
| Waitlisted ticket (WL) | ➤ Cannot enter platforms |
| Entering reserved coach with WL ticket | ➤ Penalty + fare charge |
| Boarding train with confirmed/RAC ticket | ➤ Allowed into station platforms |
| Reservations via ticket window/online | ➤ Allowed, based on 60-day booking window |
| Senior / Pregnant / PwD passenger | ➤ Lower berth allocated if available |
| Baggage exceeding weight/size limits | ➤ May be declined or fined |
⚠️ Notes & Recommendations
- Designated Waiting Areas will be enforced at major stations—WL passengers must use them until train arrival.
- Quotas for vulnerable groups aim to reduce discomfort and should be confirmed at booking or by contacting PRS counters.
- Plan train bookings up to 60 days ahead to ensure availability.
- To check live status or platform updates, use NTES, official IRCTC apps/websites, or station inquiry counters.
✅ Bottom Line
These rules are part of Southern Railway’s directive to manage crowding effectively and clearly demarcate between confirmed and waitlisted travel—improving safety and operational efficiency on special trains in Tamil Nadu.
Would you like help checking special train schedules or access provisions at a specific station in Tamil Nadu (e.g. Chennai Egmore or Madurai)?