Onam gift for Malayalis; Vande Bharat train gets more coaches

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Railways has increased the number of coaches on Kerala's second Vande Bharat train as a special Onam gift for Malayalis. The Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Central Vande Bharat via Alappuzha, which earlier had 14 coaches, will now run with 18 coaches starting Tuesday. The train with 18 coaches will begin service on Tuesday.

The train, which leaves Mangaluru at 6.25 am, reaches Thiruvananthapuram at 3.05 pm. On the return journey, it departs Thiruvananthapuram at 4.05 pm and arrives in Mangaluru at 12.40 am. The train covers 619 km in 8 hours and 40 minutes, with stops at Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam Junction, Thrissur, Shoranur Junction, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.

Kerala’s first Vande Bharat service, between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod, also saw a similar upgrade. Launched with 16 coaches, it was later expanded to 20 coaches after witnessing overwhelming passenger demand. Following its success, Railways introduced the second service via Alappuzha. Both trains currently operating in the state record the highest occupancy rates in the country.

Last year, a special Vande Bharat service between Ernakulam and Bengaluru was also run. However, Kerala’s demand to make it a regular service was not approved by the Railways.