Clamour for Vande Bharat service on Ernakulam-Bengaluru route gets louder

Demand persists for Vande Bharat Express on Ernakulam-Bengaluru route, potential launch during Onam holiday season.

With two Vande Bharat Express rakes that were allotted for Kerala earlier this year being taken outside the State, commuters are persisting with their demand to operate at least one Vande Bharat rake as a special train on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru route.

They also point to operating the train in the Kottayam-Baiyyapanahalli corridor, in case of shortage of platforms at Ernakulam Junction and KSR Bengaluru stations. The Railways had, as early as in April 2023, promised that it would operate a Vande Bharat Express on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru route by the end of 2023 or in early 2024, considering the whopping demand in the corridor from IT professionals and other Keralites who are employed in Bengaluru.

While not confirming news reports that a Vande Bharat rake is likely to operate as special train in the corridor thrice a week, and that the launch of a full-fledged service is in the offing to coincide with the Onam holiday season, informed sources said the timings and stop at each station could be finalised as soon as the Railway Board took a call on allotting a new rake.

Expressing the hope that the Railway would introduce a 16-coach Vande Bharat rake in the corridor at least by Onam, Venkitesh P. G, Secretary of Kerala-Bengaluru Train Users’ Forum, said that the service could be introduced in the Kottayam-Ernakulam Town-Baiyyapanahalli corridor, in case the Railway had constraints in allotting a platform with Ernakulam Junction as the terminal station. “The rake can terminate at Kottayam, where ample platform space is available. This would in addition benefit commuters from Idukki and other areas located on the eastern side. That Baiyyapanahalli is closer to Bengaluru’s IT hubs than the KSR Bengaluru station that is approximately 10 km away, is an added advantage.”

While hoping that the Railway would begin the service on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru route at the earliest, P. Krishnakumar, general secretary of Thrissur Railway Passengers’ Association (TRPA), said a Vande Bharat sleeper rake also must be introduced as soon as the Railway introduced its sleeper variant, considering the ever-increasing demand in the sector.

Railway sources attributed the delay in beginning the service on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru route to, among other reasons, the South Western Railway citing shortage of platforms at railway stations in Bengaluru. “There is also the looming fear that a new Vande Bharat daily train on the route could necessitate the detention of short-distance trains. The allocation of catering crew for the inter-State trip too has to be worked out.”

Reacting to the demand for a Vande Bharat rake in the Kottayam-Baiyyappanahalli corridor, the sources said such long-distance trains needed full-fledged maintenance facility at terminal stations, which might not be available at the two stations.