Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express Flagged Off, Kerala Gets Third High-Speed Train
Ernakulam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the Vande Bharat Express service from Ernakulam to Bengaluru, marking a new milestone in Kerala’s rail transport sector. With this, the total number of Vande Bharat trains operating in the state has risen to three. The new Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to commence its regular service from Sunday.
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated four Vande Bharat services, including the one for Kerala, during a virtual ceremony held in Varanasi. The inaugural events took place between 8:00 AM and 8:40 AM. The ceremony at Ernakulam South Railway Station was attended by several dignitaries, including Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, Union Ministers George Kurian and Suresh Gopi, State Ministers P. Rajeev and V. Abdurahiman, Members of Parliament Hibi Eden and VK Harris Beeraan, Mayor M. Anil Kumar, and MLA TJ Vinod.
This new service is set to be the fastest train on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru route. The train will operate six days a week, with no service on Wednesdays. The Vande Bharat Express will depart from KSR Bengaluru at 5:10 AM and is expected to arrive in Ernakulam at 1:50 PM. On its return journey, it will depart from Ernakulam at 2:20 PM and reach Bengaluru by 11:00 PM. The total travel time for the journey will be 8 hours and 40 minutes. Key stations where the train will halt between Ernakulam and Bengaluru include Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, and Salem.
**Existing Vande Bharat Trains in Kerala**
**1. Thiruvananthapuram – Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express**
Route: Thiruvananthapuram Central – Mangaluru
Commencement: April 25, 2023
Travel Time: Approximately 8 hours 35 minutes
Main Stops: Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod
Specialty: This was Kerala’s first Vande Bharat service, operating as a full semi-high-speed train.
**2. Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express**
Route: Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram
Commencement: September 24, 2023
Travel Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Main Stops: Kannur, Kozhikode, Tirur, Thrissur, Ernakulam Town, Alappuzha, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram
Specialty: This is the second service connecting the northern and southern parts of the state and is notable for being India’s first saffron-colored semi-high-speed train.