The State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) of Tamil Nadu has marked a major milestone in premium intercity travel with the flag-off of 20 new Volvo 9600 15-metre seater coaches by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin, at Island Grounds, Chennai. This induction represents a significant step in the Government of Tamil Nadu’s continued push towards modernising public transport and elevating long-distance travel standards across the state.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by senior dignitaries including Thiru. S. S. Sivasankar, Hon’ble Minister for Transport, Government of Tamil Nadu; Thiru. P. K. Sekar Babu, Hon’ble Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments; Thiru. Shunchonngam Jatak Chiru, IAS, Principal Secretary, Transport Department; Thiru. R. Mohan, Managing Director, SETC; Thiru. T. Prabhushankar, IAS, Managing Director, Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC); Thiru. Dayanidhi Maran, Hon’ble Member of Parliament; and Tmt. Priya Rajan, Hon’ble Mayor, Greater Chennai Corporation.
The induction underscores the Government of Tamil Nadu’s focus on enhancing passenger comfort, strengthening safety standards, and accelerating the modernisation of state-run transport services.
Manufactured at Volvo Buses India’s state-of-the-art facilities, the Volvo 9600 coaches represent the latest generation of Volvo buses offered in the Indian market. Designed with a strong emphasis on passenger comfort, each coach is delivered in a premium 51-seat configuration, with ergonomically designed luxury seats equipped with calf support. The coaches offer superior ride quality, safety, and reliability, making them well-suited for long-haul intercity operations. The Volvo 9600 aligns seamlessly with SETC’s objective of elevating service benchmarks across key routes.
Commenting on the occasion, Suresh Chettiar, Executive Vice President – Bus Division, VE Commercial Vehicles, said the company was proud to partner with SETC and the Government of Tamil Nadu in strengthening the state’s intercity transport ecosystem through the induction of Volvo 9600 coaches. He noted that the buses were engineered to deliver world-class comfort, safety, and operational reliability, supporting SETC’s vision of offering a superior travel experience while raising public transport standards in Tamil Nadu.
The newly inducted 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–Tiruchendur, Chennai–Bengaluru, Coimbatore–Bengaluru, and Trichy–Tiruchendur.