Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin flagged off 20 Volvo 9600 premium intercity coaches for the State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) at Island Grounds, Chennai, marking a significant step in the state’s efforts to modernise public transport infrastructure.
The newly inducted 15-metre Volvo 9600 coaches, each configured with 51 premium seats, will be deployed on long-distance intercity routes connecting key cities within Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states. The initiative forms part of the Government of Tamil Nadu’s broader push to enhance passenger comfort, safety, and reliability in state-run transport services.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by S. S. Sivasankar, Minister for Transport; P. K. Sekar Babu, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments; Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru, IAS, Principal Secretary, Transport Department; R. Mohan, Managing Director, SETC; T. Prabhushankar, IAS, Managing Director, Metropolitan Transport Corporation; Dayanidhi Maran, Member of Parliament; and Priya Rajan, Mayor of Greater Chennai Corporation.
Commenting on the induction, Suresh Chettiar, Executive Vice President – Bus Division, VE Commercial Vehicles, said, “We are proud to partner with SETC and the Government of Tamil Nadu in strengthening the state’s intercity transport ecosystem with the induction of Volvo 9600 coaches. These buses are engineered to deliver world-class comfort, safety, and operational reliability, supporting SETC’s vision of offering a superior travel experience while setting new benchmarks for public transport in Tamil Nadu.”
The Volvo 9600 coaches are equipped with ergonomically designed seats with calf support and are manufactured at Volvo Buses India’s production facilities. They will operate on major routes such as Chennai–Coimbatore, Chennai–Tiruppur, Chennai–Salem, Chennai–Thanjavur, Chennai–Trichy, Chennai–Nagercoil, Chennai–Thiruchendur, Chennai–Bengaluru, Coimbatore–Bengaluru, and Trichy–Thiruchendur.
