[1][2][3] During meter gauge services, this train ran as a regular express train from karaikudi to chennai via thiruthuraipoondi, tiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Nagore, karaikal, thirunallaru, mayladuthurai, villupuram in the name of kamban express.

In this intermediate period(2010), the kamban express was allocated to run between karaikal to chennai egmore via nagore, thiruvarur, mayiladuthurai, villupuram which is its old slip coach route and a new slip coach route from nagapattinam to velankanni as velankanni express.

Around 2019 gauge conversion of the thiruvarur karaikudi section is completed and opened for passenger traffic and the peralam karaikal line also underwent reconstruction and gauge conversion process and it is expected to be completed by 2025.

Now railways plans to reoperate this train to its very old route via chennai egmore, villupuram, mayiladuthurai, peralam, thirunallaru, karaikal, thiruvarur, thiruthuraipoondi, karaikudi after the gauge conversion completes on the peralam karaikal section in order not to eliminate and avoid any stoppages for this train.

Till 2020, it ran with link express coaches bound Velankanni which will be attached and detached at Nagappattinam.