Kerala's maiden Vande Bharat train is set to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday (April 14) for trial runs ahead of its anticipated inauguration on April 25. The train, which was manufactured at the Chennai coach factory and comprises 16 coaches, will embark on a "show run" from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode soon.
The trial run will start from Thiruvananthapuram at 9.45 am and the train will reach Kozhikode at 3.30 pm. There will be stops at Kollam, Varkala, Chengannur and Ernakulam South and North stations. The train will leave Kozhikode at 8.30 pm on Saturday and reach Chennai at 8.05 am on Sunday. A call on launching the service will be taken as per the inspection report.The PM, who will arrive in Ernakulam on April 24 for the Yuvam youth conference, will leave for Thiruvananthapuram where he will make the announcement on April 25.
Vande Bharat train would be presented as a viable alternative to the state government’s Silverline semi high-speed rail project. It will run at a speed of 80-90km/hour on the Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur sector and 100-110km/hour on the Shoranur-Kannur sector. Though no official information has been conveyed, railway officers at the divisional office in Thiruvananthapuram have assessed the possibility of operating the service.“Vande Bharat train to Kerala is almost confirmed,” said senior BJP leader P K Krishnadas, who is also the chairman of the Railway Passenger Amenities Committee, Railway Board.