Kerala's 3rd Vande Bharat announced, to connect state with Karnataka
What's the story
Kerala will soon have its third Vande Bharat Express train, connecting Ernakulam and Bengaluru. The semi-high-speed train will operate six days a week from November 7, reducing travel time between the two cities to seven hours and 40 minutes. It will run via Coimbatore and Palakkad, with stops at Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, and Krishnarajapuram.
Service details
The new train will have 8 coaches
The new train service (Train No. 26651/26652) will be managed by the Southern Railway (SR) zone, The Indian Express reported. It will have eight coaches, including seven air-conditioned chair cars and one executive chair car. The train can reach a maximum speed of 160km/h, making it one of the fastest trains in India.
Schedule
Train will take around 8 hours for the journey
The Bengaluru-Ernakulam train (Train No. 26651) will depart at 05:10am from KSR Bengaluru and arrive at Ernakulam by 01:50pm. The return journey (Train No. 26652) will leave Ernakulam at 02:20pm and reach KSR Bengaluru by 11:00pm. The service will run six days a week, taking a break on Wednesdays for maintenance, according to The Hindu.
Current routes
Two operational Vande Bharat trains in Kerala
Currently, Kerala has two operational Vande Bharat Express trains. The Kasargod-Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod train (Train No. 20633/20634) and the Mangalore-Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru train (Train No. 20631/20632) are already reducing travel time between key cities in the state. These trains have upgraded facilities, such as comfortable seating and quick boarding, and punctual service, boosting passenger convenience across major routes.