Trivandrum: Kerala's First Vande Bharat Train, the semi-high speed train which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday will begin the regular operations from Apr. 28. As the southern state braces for the maiden Vande Bharat train, commuters are excited over the ride and also the ticket prices.
According to officials, the Vande Bharat Chair car tickets from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod are priced at Rs 1590. As for the executive chair car seating, the tickets will cost Rs 2880. With the bookings getting an overwhelming response on the very first day, tickets are not available in the executive chair car of the Vande Bharat Express train in either direction till May 3, an official said.
Also read: PM Modi flags off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express
Once the regular services of Vande Bharat train begins in Kerala, the train will depart from Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station at 5.20 am every day. It will take eight hours and five minutes to reach Kasargod. The train will have the first halting station at Kollam where it will reach at 6.07 am followed by Kottayam at 7.25 am, Ernakulam Town 8.17 am, Thrissur 9.22 am, Shornur 10.02 am, Kozhikode 11.03 am, Kannur 12.03 pm and Kasaragod 1.25 pm.
The return journey of the train will start at 2.30 pm and will reach Kannur at 3.28 pm, Kozhikode – 4.28 pm, Shornur – 5.28 pm, Thrissur – 6.03 pm, Ernakulam – 7.05 pm, Kottayam – 8 pm, Kollam - 9.18 pm and Thiruvananthapuram – 10.35 pm. The maximum speed of Vandebharat is 180 kmph. However given around 600 curves along the Kerala rail route, it is estimated that the maximum speed for the first phase service starting from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur will be 100 to 110 kmph.
The bogies of the train were manufactured at Perambur Integral Coach Factory. The speciality of Vandebharat trains is that they can reach 100 kmph speed in 52 seconds. The trains have front and rear driver cabins both of which are AC coaches.
