Ganga Kaveri Express

Started on 16 February 1977 by Kamalpati Tripathi, originally running between Madras (now Chennai) and Varanasi, terminating at Chennai Beach Station. It used the platform previously used by the MG Ganga Kaveri Express to Rameswaram through the Kaveri river basin.

• Name Origin: Named after two Indian rivers: the Ganga, flowing through the holy cities of Varanasi and Chhapra, and the Kaveri River, flowing through the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• Early Service: Train number 139/140 began as a Superfast service between Madras Beach and Varanasi.
• Reclassification: Later reclassified as an Express, renamed Madras–Varanasi Express, shortened to terminate at Madras Central, with AC sleeper coaches introduced and the Green and Yellow rakes withdrawn.
• Reintroduction: In the 1990s, Jaffer Sharief reinstated it as the Ganga Kaveri Express to serve South Indian tourists visiting Varanasi.
• Extension: Extended to Chhapra in December 2006, despite concerns from Varanasi passengers about reduced seat availability.
• Criticism & Requests: Name criticized because the train does not start in Trichy, near the Kaveri River; passengers have requested modern LHB coaches instead of old ICF ones.
• Popularity: Highly preferred by tourists and senior citizens performing religious rites; remains the only direct train from Chennai to Varanasi.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Originally, the train operated with ICF-designed rakes that included Green and Yellow colored coaches for long-distance Superfast service. After its reclassification as an Express train, these rakes were withdrawn and air-conditioned sleeper coaches were introduced. The train has continued to operate with older ICF rakes for over 40 years, which has led to requests for upgrading to modern LHB rakes to improve passenger comfort and safety.

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The train shares its rake with 12691/12692 MGR Chennai Central-Shivamogga Town Superfast Express.