Tamil Nadu State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) launched its premium intercity transport services with the flag-off of 20 new Volvo 9600 15-metre seater coaches, by Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin at Island Grounds, Chennai. The induction marks a significant step in the Government of Tamil Nadu’s ongoing efforts to modernize public transport and enhance long-distance luxury travel in the state.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by senior dignitaries including S. S. Sivasankar, Minister for Transport, Government of Tamil Nadu; 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 (MTC); Dayanidhi Maran, Member of Parliament, and Priya Rajan, Mayor, Greater Chennai Corporation.
The induction reflects the Government of Tamil Nadu’s focus on superior passenger comfort, enhanced safety, and the continued modernization of state-run transport services.
Manufactured at Volvo Buses India’s state-of-the-art facilities, the Volvo 9600 coaches are the latest generation of Volvo Buses sold in India. With passenger comfort in mind, each bus is delivered in a premium 51-seat configuration. With attention to detail, each luxury seat is even equipped with calf support, offering superior comfort, safety, and ride quality for long-haul intercity operations. Designed to deliver high reliability and consistent performance, The Volvo 9600 aligns well with SETC’s objective of elevating service standards for bus passengers across key routes.
Commenting on the occasion, 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 Tamil Nadu’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 providing a superior travel experience to passengers while raising benchmarks for public transport in Tamil Nadu.”
These Volvo 9600 coaches will operate on key long-distance intercity routes connecting major cities within Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states. These include Chennai–Coimbatore, Chennai–Tiruppur, Chennai–Salem, Chennai–Thanjavur, Chennai–Trichy, Chennai–Nagercoil, Chennai–Truchendur, Chennai–Bengaluru, Coimbatore–Bengaluru, and Trichy–Truchendur.