Kerala will also get Vande Bharat Sleeper; three routes under consideration, Railways more interested in this route

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Indian Railways is preparing to launch the Vande Bharat Sleeper service by Diwali. Although Kerala has not been included in the first phase, the state is likely to get a train in the second phase. Since Vande Bharat chair car services have become a big hit in Kerala, there is a strong demand that the state should be allotted a sleeper version as well. Three possible routes have been proposed to the Railway Minister.

During a meeting with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan suggested considering one of the following routes: Kozhikode-Bengaluru, Kozhikode-Chennai, or Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru. However, the Railways is more interested in starting the Vande Bharat Sleeper service on the Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru route. The positive response to existing chair car services in Kerala is seen as a major advantage.

Currently, three trains operate on the Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru route during the night- the Malabar Express (16629, 16630) via Kottayam, the Mangaluru/Thiruvananthapuram Express (16347, 16348), and the Maveli Express (16603, 16604) via Alappuzha. All three trains run with full occupancy and tickets remain on the waiting list every day. Because of this, many passengers are forced to depend on private buses, paying high fares for night travel.

Railways is confident that launching the Vande Bharat Sleeper on this route would be highly successful. As many passengers are expected to shift to the premium service, it would free up seats on the other three trains, reducing congestion and making tickets easier to get.