Union Minister for Railways Suresh P. Prabhu will flag off a new weekly express train service between Tirupati and Sainagar Shirdi today evening. The train comes as a boon for the pilgrim traffic, affording a direct link between two most popular pilgrim destinations – the abode of Balaji Tirupati with the temple town of Shirdi, home to the sanctum sanctorum of Saibaba.<br/><br/>Train No. 17417 Tirupati-Sainagar Shirdi weekly express train will depart Tirupati at 7 am every Tuesday with effect from 5th January 2016 and will arrive at Sainagar Shirdi at 12:15 hrs the next day. In the return direction, Train No. 17418 will depart Sainagar Shirdi at 7.10 pm every Wednesday from 6th January 2016, and will arrive Tirupati at 11.45 pm. <br/><br/> Bookings for the train will open from 28th December 2015.