The forthcoming Vande Bharat Express destined for Kerala appears to be set for the Mangaluru Central-Ernakulam route, according to railway sources. However, due to practical challenges, it is anticipated that the service will terminate at Ernakulam, rather than extending to Thiruvananthapuram. The electrification work required for the maintenance of the Vande Bharat trains has already been completed at Mangaluru Central. Subsequently, the train, which was transported from Chennai to Mangaluru, is poised for a trial run using its designated rake, as explained by the sources. (“Rake” refers to the set of coaches allocated to the train and its composition.)
Once the trial run concludes, the Railway Board will announce the official timetable. Furthermore, the inauguration of the Mangaluru-Ernakulam and Tirunalveli-Chennai Egmoor Vande Bharat trains will be scheduled, taking into account the convenience of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to sources.
While the Southern Railway had submitted timetables for these two services, the Railway Board requested an enhancement in train speed, according to reports. However, the potential for reducing travel time is limited due to the maximum speed limit of 80 km/h on the Ernakulam-Shornur route. Additionally, the lack of available platforms at Ernakulam poses a challenge for the service to depart from Mangaluru in the morning and arrive at Ernakulam before 10 am, as highlighted by a Railway officer. One potential solution could be extending the service to Kottayam, where there are five free platforms, although the Railways has yet to consider this option.
It’s worth noting that the second Vande Bharat train was allocated to the Palakkad division from the Chennai Integral Coach Factory (ICF) on a recent Friday. Notably, the first Vande Bharat train sanctioned for Kerala boasts impressive passenger numbers compared to other services across the country. Specifically, the Vande Bharat service on the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram route operates at a rate of 183 passengers per 100 seats, indicating an occupancy rate exceeding 100 percent. Similarly, on the return service from Thiruvananthapuram, the rate stands at 173 passengers per 100 seats.a
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