Bangalore to Chennai Trains

Bangalore to Chennai train fares span a wide range, from ₹130 in General/2S up to ₹5,500 in First AC, depending on class and comfort level. Budget and overnight travellers typically choose Sleeper or 3A (₹230–₹1,100), while daytime and business travellers opt for Chair Car or Executive CC (₹550–₹2,000). Second AC and First AC sit at the premium end, favoured by families and those wanting private, high-comfort overnight journeys.

Budget and overnight travellers typically go for Sleeper or 3A, while daytime travellers prefer Chair Car or Executive CC, for AC seating, without an overnight stay. 2A and 1A sit at the premium end, suited to families and couples wanting higher comfort or private cabins.

The closer you cancel to your departure date, the less refund you get. A full refund, minus a flat charge (₹60–₹180 by class) if you cancel 48+ hours before chart preparation, dropping to 75% (12–48 hrs), 50% (4–12 hrs) before chart preparation, and nothing within 4 hours or after chart preparation. If your waitlisted ticket doesn't get confirmed, it's automatically cancelled and refunded, minus a small fee per passenger, while Tatkal tickets are non-refundable unless IRCTC itself cancels the train.

Tatkal booking opens one day before departure — 10:00 AM for AC classes and 11:00 AM for Sleeper/General — with extra charges over the base fare varying by class. Demand peaks on Fridays, Sundays, and around festivals/long weekends, so Tuesday–Wednesday departures offer better confirmation chances.

Waitlist Types

GNWL offers the best confirmation odds (60–85%) and should be your first choice, with PQWL as a reasonable backup if GNWL isn't available. RAC almost always lets you travel even unconfirmed, while RLWL has very low confirmation chances and is best avoided.

Bangalore has 4 boarding stations:

• KSR Bengaluru City Junction (SBC) — Primary terminal
• Yesvantpur Junction (YPR) — North Bangalore hub
• Krishnarajapuram Junction (KJM) — East Bangalore hub
• Bengaluru Cantonment (BNC) — Central-East Bangalore

SBC suits South/Central Bangalore and travellers wanting maximum train options and amenities, KJM is best for East Bangalore (Whitefield, KR Puram, Marathahalli) since it cuts 1–2 hours of city traffic, YPR works for North/Northwest Bangalore, and BNC is a fallback only for the few trains that specifically halt there. SBC has the most departures and full facilities but heavy peak-hour traffic; KJM, YPR, and BNC trade off fewer train options and smaller amenities for lower congestion and faster access from their respective zones.

Which Boarding Station Is Best for You?

Can You Board from KJM Instead of SBC?

Yes — KJM is a scheduled stop on most Bangalore–Chennai trains, so you can board there instead of SBC. Just request a boarding point change on Makemytrip up to 24 hours before departure. The main exceptions are faster, fewer-stop trains (like the Shatabdi and the standard Chennai Mail route).

Four trains stop at KJM daily — Kaveri Express (00:09 AM), Lalbagh SF Express (06:50 AM), Brindavan SF Express (15:34), and MAS Double Decker (13:54) — covering early morning, mid-morning, and afternoon departures. The Mysuru–MGR Chennai Weekly SF Express adds a Wednesday-only option at 11:23 PM for travellers needing extra availability.

Chennai has 2 Arrival stations: MAS (MGR Chennai Central) — Most daily premium trains · MS (Chennai Egmore) — Select weekly and special trains

MAS (Chennai Central) is the better arrival station for most destinations — T Nagar, Anna Nagar, OMR, the airport, and Parrys — thanks to metro connectivity and central access. MS (Egmore) works better for South Chennai destinations like Tambaram, Velachery, and GST Road, plus it's a direct walk for Egmore itself. Adyar and Besant Nagar are reachable from either station with similar ease.

Which Chennai Station Is Better for You?

The two Shatabdi services (12028 at 06:00, 12008 at 16:10) cover the Bangalore-Chennai route in 5–5h 15m, both offering CC and EC classes with fares roughly ₹925–₹1,990. The MAS Vande Bharat Express (20608, 14:50) is the fastest train on this route at 4h 30m and the only Vande Bharat service running between Bangalore and Chennai, making it the top pick for daytime business travel.

Morning departures (before 10 AM) from Bangalore to Chennai range from 4h 45m to 6h 40m, with the Vande Bharat (20663) being fastest at 4h 45m and Shatabdi (12028) close behind at 5h. For comfort, Lalbagh SF Express and Sanghamitra Express offer the widest class range including Sleeper and AC options, while Shatabdi and Vande Bharat stick to Chair Car/Executive Chair Car for quicker, premium daytime travel.

For overnight travel, the SBC–Chennai SF Mail (12658, 22:40–04:05) which runs daily, is the fastest option at 5h 25m, while the Kaveri Express (16022, 23:50–06:45) offers a more relaxed overnight schedule with a longer sleep window. The Mysuru–Chennai Weekly SF (22681) runs only on Wednesdays and serves as a useful backup when the daily trains are full.