The second Vande Bharat train designated for the Palakkad-Southern Railway route embarked on its journey from Chennai to Mangaluru this past Friday. This significant event saw the train being officially handed over to the engineers from Palakkad division by the Chennai Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at precisely 8.42 pm on that day.
This departure confirms that the train has indeed been allocated to Kerala, and its anticipated arrival in Mangaluru is set for the upcoming Saturday. An interesting development is that a new train, featuring a modified design, is being delivered to Mangaluru as part of this arrangement.
Sources indicate that the specific route for the new train will be determined within the first week of September. Among the options under consideration are Mangalore – Thiruvananthapuram, Mangalore – Ernakulam, Mangalore – Coimbatore, and Madgaon (Goa) – Ernakulam. The final decision rests with the route decision committee of the Southern Railway, with even the Tirunelveli – Chennai Egmore route in the Madurai division being taken into account.
In a separate development, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai handed over one train each to the Southern Railway, Western Railway, and East Coast Railway as part of their commitments.
Notably, the Vande Bharat train, initially sanctioned for Kerala, stands out among other routes in the country in terms of passenger numbers. It boasts an impressive passenger rate of 183 per 100 seats on the Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram route. Furthermore, on its return service from Thiruvananthapuram, this rate remains high at 173 passengers per 100 seats. This underscores the significance and popularity of this railway service in the region.
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