Happy news for Malayalees travelling home for Onam; Vande Bharat train coaches increased to 16

KOCHI: As a relief to the travel crisis during the Onam season, the number of coaches on the Vande Bharat Express has been increased. The number of coaches on the Bengaluru–Ernakulam Vande Bharat has been raised to 16. The service with the additional coaches will begin on August 17. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had earlier informed that the number of coaches would be increased. Hibi Eden MP had also demanded in the Lok Sabha that the number of coaches be increased to 20.

The service started in November last year. Within a short span of time, it became a busy service. It is a great relief for Malayalees travelling from Bengaluru to Kerala during the Onam season. The Vande Bharat had eight coaches earlier. With the number of coaches being increased to 16, the total number of seats will rise from 530 to 1,128, providing 598 additional seats. The ticket fare is Rs 1,670 for the chair car, including food and Rs 3,030 for the executive chair car.