Kilambakkam bus terminus on GST Road, officially the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT), is where most government express buses to the southern districts now start. These include SETC’s new Volvo AC semi-sleeper services to Madurai, Tirunelveli, Nagercoil, Tiruchendur, Trichy and Thanjavur, according to the TNSTC booking site. Buses to Bengaluru still leave from the Koyambedu terminus.
The terminus lies well south of the city on GST Road, between Vandalur and Urappakkam. Getting there is the main worry for most passengers. Here is what runs from it, the ways to reach it and what is inside.
Which buses leave from Kilambakkam
KCBT was built to take mofussil (long-distance) buses out of Koyambedu, with separate areas for government buses and private contract carriages. As a rule:
- From Kilambakkam: SETC and TNSTC buses heading south and south-west along GST Road, towards Villupuram, Trichy, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Salem, Coimbatore and Tiruppur. On the TNSTC site, KCBT is the boarding point for most of the new SETC AC routes, and Coimbatore buses return there.
- From Koyambedu (CMBT): Bengaluru services and buses towards the north and west. CM Vijay launched the Vettri Payanam free travel expansion at CMBT on route 76B to Kancheepuram.
- Festival specials: most extra buses run from Kilambakkam. For the September 2026 weekend rush, 3,565 special buses were planned to arrive at Kilambakkam over two days. Madhavaram and Koyambedu also handled extra services, with Koyambedu running buses via ECR, DT Next reported.
Private omnibus operators have asked for a combined arrangement, with Kilambakkam serving south Chennai and Koyambedu serving the north, centre and west of the city. They say passengers from north Chennai can lose up to two hours getting to Kilambakkam, DT Next reported. That is a proposal for now. Check your ticket for the boarding point.
How to reach KCBT
By MTC bus. This is the main option today. During the September rush, MTC ran 508 buses on 47 routes from Kilambakkam, plus nine through routes, with extra trips from Central, Egmore and Tambaram railway stations. Use the Chennai Bus app or Chennai One to check which route reaches the terminus from your area.
By suburban train. A new Kilambakkam station on the Beach to Chengalpattu line, between Vandalur and Urappakkam, is almost ready. Platform 1 has been completed, with a temporary booking office, and platforms 2 and 3 were close to finished in August. The Railways said the station was likely to open around Deepavali, DT Next reported. The bottleneck is the skywalk across GST Road that will link the station to the terminus. It was about 30% complete in August and needed Southern Railway’s approval for the span over the tracks. In May, CMDA had promised completion by June, so treat the new date with caution. Until it opens, the nearest stations are Vandalur and Urappakkam, and from either you need a short bus or auto ride.
By metro. There is no metro to Kilambakkam yet. An extension of the Blue Line from the airport towards Kilambakkam has been proposed, but it is not under construction, so it will not help travellers for some years.
By car. The terminus has parking for cars and two-wheelers, and drop-off at the entrance is quicker than parking if someone is only seeing you off. GST Road near Vandalur gets heavily congested on Friday evenings and before festivals, so allow extra time.
Facilities inside
The terminus is very large, and facilities are spread across the building rather than clustered in one place. Head first for the reservation and enquiry counters near the main entrance. Staff there can point you to toilets, drinking water, waiting areas and the police help point, and tell you which platform your bus will use.
Food stalls and shops are inside the terminus, but on festival eves queues are long, so carry water and a snack if you are travelling with children or elderly relatives. If you need a wheelchair or help with luggage, ask at the enquiry counter on arrival rather than at the platform.
Tips before you travel
- Book ahead for Fridays, long weekends and festival eves. Seats on popular routes to Madurai and Tirunelveli sell out first, and special buses are added only close to the date.
- Allow at least an extra hour to reach the terminus if you live in north or central Chennai, since you will probably need to change buses.
- Check the platform number on the display boards once inside. The terminus is large, and walking between the far bus fingers takes time with luggage.
- If you are arriving late at night, plan the onward trip into the city in advance, because MTC frequency drops after the evening peak.
Booking and help
SETC and TNSTC seats can be booked on tnstc.in, which also has a “single lady” seat option, or on WhatsApp by sending “Hi” to 94440 18898. The site lists 78258 12626 and 95139 48001 for reservation help and 94450 14448 for complaints on WhatsApp.
Quick answers
Do buses to Madurai leave from Kilambakkam or Koyambedu?
Government buses to Madurai and other southern cities start from Kilambakkam (KCBT).
Is there a railway station at Kilambakkam?
It is built but not yet open. The Railways expect it around Deepavali, depending on the skywalk.
Which bus terminus is for Bengaluru?
Koyambedu (CMBT). The TNSTC booking site lists it as the boarding point for Bengaluru services.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- TNSTC / SETC online reservation (Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation)
- 3,565 special buses to Kilambakkam to handle post-festival rush (DT Next)
- Omnibus operators flag permit delays, moot Koyambedu+Kilambakkam multihub model (DT Next)
- Kilambakkam railway station likely to open around Deepavali (DT Next)
- Kilambakkam skywalk, railway station to open by end of June, confirm CMDA, Railways (DT Next, May 2026)
