Proposals for new Vande Bharat Express Trains for Kerala
The two Vande Bharat expresses (20632/1 and 20634/3) introduced in Kerala have constantly made news for running full and then some round the year. Many people, including me, hadn’t really expected the Vande Bharats to make such an impact on the travelling public in Kerala. There were many things stacked against them. Their lower average speeds (in southern Kerala – 63 to 66 kph) given state of the railway infrastructure in Kerala, the high fares and fewer stoppages. But to everyone’s shock and surprise they have turned out to be massive hits. I am glad that I was proven wrong.
Kerala has been witnessing a phenomenal shift in terms of quality of life. Spending capabilities of families now mirror that of people in larger Indian cities. People now don’t mind spending more for exchange of better quality and comfort. This is why Vande Bharats run full in Kerala despite it being the state where the most number of families own a car. I personally know many Malayalees who wouldn’t be caught dead in a train who now prefer Vande Bharats as ther first choice for intercity travel within the state. More about this analysis is for another post.
Anyway, what all this suggests is that it is now a no-brainer that any new Vande Bharat introduced in the state would be a runaway hit. To this effect there have been quite a few suggestions and demands for new vande Bharat services through Kerala. Among the prominent are the following:
- Ernakulam – Bangalore – Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express via Podanur, Tirupathur
- Trivandrum – Nilambur – Trivandrum Vande Bharat Express via Kottayam
- Coimbatore – Kanniyakumari – Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express via Kottayam, Trivandrum
- Ernakulam – Trivandrum – Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express via Alappuzha
Kerala does not demand long-distance weekly crawlers that connect Trivandrum North with some nondescript town in UP or Gurajat anymore. What we need today is fast, frequent and comfortable intercity trains connecting towns and cities in Kerala with each other, and with important large cities in neighbouring states. While what we actually need to achieve this goal is a dedicated RRTS network, but since that doesn’t seem top be forthcoming the next best thing seems to be Vande Bharat trains.
The timetables of these proposed trains are prepared keeping these things in mind as fast intercity connectors. They are examined in detail below to see how they would work in real life conditions, with detailed working timetables and operating schedules.
Please Note: All these are figments of my own imagination and do not reflect any official proposals.
Proposal 1: Ernakulam – Bangalore – Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express
(The Bangalore – Ernakulam Vande Bharat has been announced. The direction is the same but the timings are different and there is only rake running the service instead of two.)
A day-time Vande Bharat between Ernakulam and Bangalore was visualised and expected to be announced as soon as the Vande Bharat program was inaugurated. It was a no-brainer. There is no need to explain the perpetually massive travel demand between Kerala and Bangalore. Bangalore and Ernakulam-Kochi share a lot of similarities in demographics and economy that they are practically sister cities now with their rich, upwardly mobile populations and high mobility between them.
Despite the distance necessitating two rakes for a daily service, it is seen as one of the most possible, probable and profitable route by almost all the travelling public and railfans. Especially when we see how packed (the AC coaches) of the Bangalore – Ernakulam InterCity express run year-round. Among all the Vande Bharat express proposals, this one is the easiest to implement with guaranteed returns.
They actually did run a tri-weekly Ernakulam – Bangalore Vande Bharat special during the last Onam season. To no one’s surprise it ran full for all its services. And again to no one’s surprise they discontinued it after its scheduled run giving no reason whatsoever.
After a lot of clamouring, the Railway Minister has recently announced the intention to finally start running the train from mid November 2025 onwards. It is heartening to see that they have finally taken cognizance of the massive demand for premium express trains in Kerala, and hopefully on the back of this service they will introduce more Vande Bharat trains in Kerala.
Probably they held back from introducing the train earlier becaue even with the speeds and priority of the Vande Bharat it would not be possible for the rake to return to its origin on the same day, requiring two rakes for a daily service. However the Nagpur Ajni – Pune Vande Bharat runs using two rakes for its nearly 10 hour service.
We know that the clamour for more trains from Kerala to Bangalore is as old as the hills and never ending. However, this proposal for a day time Vande Bharat Express between Ernakulam and Bangalore, along with that for the new Trivandrum – Bangalore Vande Bharat overnight Sleeper has a good chance of maybe ending that once and for all. Let us look at a timetable that can be proposed for this train.
Route, stoppages and detailed proposed timetable
For the train to make sense the best way to run it would be to arrive Bangalore at night and leave the city early in the morning. This is because the flow of passengers is towards Bangalore from Kerala for business and work, and a train reaching Bangalore at night will give people a full day for their work. The other way means they would be just wasting an entire day travelling.
Ernakulam Jn ERS – Bengaluru City Jn SBC Vande Bharat Express (proposed) Timetable
Distance: 612 km | 7 halts | Travel Time: 09h25m | Avg Speed: 65 kph | 8 car rake | SR/TVC
| No | Stoppages | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernakulam Jn ERS | 1300 | This is the best possible time for the train to start from Ernakulam to allow for a comfortable non-stop run (for most part). This timing also allows for connections from both Kottayam and Alappuzha side by means of MEMU trains that reach Ernakulam at 1200 and 1130 respectively. This way people can also board after an early lunch to avoid the godawful food that Vande Bharats in Kerala are famous for. | |
| 2 | Thrissur TCR | 1405 | 1407 | People from Thrissur can board after having lunch as well. |
| 3 | Palakkad Jn PGT | 1505 | 1508 | Two weeklies to Coimbatore can be conveniently overtaken at Palakkad Jn. |
| 4 | Podanur Jn PTJ | 1615 | 1617 | To reach Bangalore at a convenient time it imperative that the Vande Bharat is routed via Podanur skipping Coimbatore Jn. The train will save around 30 minutes by doing so. |
| 5 | Erode Jn ED | 1725 | 1730 | Crew change. Departure timings of the 56812 Erode Jolarpettai Passenger may be delayed by five minutes to allow the Vande Bharat to depart ahead. Also, the Sabari express and the 16160 Mangalore – Chennai Express are overtaken somewhere before Erode. |
| 6 | Salem Jn SA | 1825 | 1827 | The train pulls out of Salem as the sun goes down and the night starts to set in. It is now 3 hours non-stop from here all the way until Bangalore. |
| 7 | Krishnarajapuram KJM | 2130 | 2135 | Most passengers will be alighting at Krishnarajapuram. Metro connectivity is available as well. |
| 8 | Bangalore Cantonment BNC | 2145 | 2147 | It can halt at the Cantonment station for passengers towards the older parts of the city. |
| 9 | Bangalore City Jn SBC | 2210 | It is an honour for a new train to currently terminate at SBC. Hope they will make it happen. |
Bengaluru City Jn SBC – Ernakulam Jn ERS Vande Bharat Express (proposed) Timetable
Distance: 612 km | 6 halts | Travel Time: 09h10m | Avg Speed: 67 kph | 8 car rake | SR/TVC
Departs early morning from Bangalore to arrive at Ernakulam early in the afternoon. This schedule gives it a clear, free path all the way from Bangalore to Ernakulam. It can run with no disruption to other traffic as it does not encounter any other train to overtake.
| No | Station | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangalore City Jn SBC | 0550 | The ideal time for the train to leave Bengaluru both for passengers and traffic. It will run ahead of most traffic out of the city in the morning and with a head start of 10 min ahead of the 12028 Chennai Shatabdi which will follow it until the turn off before Jolarpettai. | |
| 2 | Krishnarajapuram | 0610 | 0613 | Krishnarajapuram will be where most passengers will board the train. It has to depart point on time to prevent backing up the Shatabdi. |
| 3 | Salem Jn | 0925 | 0927 | Arrives at Salem after a 3 hour nonstop run just after breakfast time. |
| 4 | Erode Jn | 1020 | 1025 | Crew change. |
| 5 | Podanur Jn PTJ | 1137 | 1140 | Skips Coimbatore Jn via the Irugur bypass. |
| 6 | Palakkad Jn PGT | 1230 | 1235 | The shorter A line and no speed restriction (because it is day time) enables the train to cover the distance faster. Arrives in time for the people to have lunch comfortably at home. |
| 7 | Thrissur TCR | 1335 | 1337 | |
| 8 | Ernakulam Jn ERS | 1455 | — | Arrives at Ernakulam Jn early in the afternoon. The station is not busy at this time with few arrivals and departures. Unfortunately there are no forward connections available until the Alappuzha MEMU at 1600. |
With the train almost confirmed to be introduced it now remains to be seen how it will be scheduled. Hopefully the officials will consider the incorporation of some of these elemets in the official timetable.
The next train has not been officially suggested but can be easily implemented with nearly no disruption to existing traffic as a premium Intercity service.
Proposal 2: Trivandrum – Nilambur – Trivandrum Vande Bharat Express
Nilambur is a not very well-known place outside Kerala but it is also among the most prosperous. It is a trading and “kudiyetta” (migrant) town that lies far into the eastern reaches of the Malappuram district and well into the foothills of the Western Ghats. It lies on the road to Nadukani, Gudalur and Bandipur and onwards to Mysore or Ooty acting as a gateway from Kerala to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and the Western Ghats.
Nilambur also lies as a rail head at one end of a famous picturesque rail spur that was built by the British to transport all the forest produce of teh Western Ghats, especially the Teak that Nilambur is famous for, to the ports at Madras and Mangalore. Today that odd single line survives as a popular lifeline carrying six pairs of passenger trains and two express trains.
The people of the region heavily partonize the existing two Vande Bharat expresses who currnetly board them after travelling to Shoranur or Tirur. A new Vande Bharat between Nilambur and Trivandrum will make sense as both a direct train between this old high-range outpost and the capital city of the state via its financial capital, and a well-patronaged InterCity express for South Kerala. Also, it can be afforded a few more stoppages given its short run and as a connector.
Thiruvananthapuram Central TVC – Nilambur Road NIL Vande Bharat Express (proposed) Timetable
Distance: 391 km | 11 halts | Travel Time: 06h00m | Avg Speed: 65 kph | 8 car rake | SR/TVC
The Trivandrum Central station experiences severe congestion and rush in the mornings and evenings because of the limited availability of only 5 platforms. This makes it difficult, if not impossible to find a platform for a departure before 11 am or a path to move the train from the Kochuveli (Trivandrum North) yard to TVC in the morning. However, that can come as a blessing in disguise because this gives an opportunity for a schedule that can run as a day time InterCity through Central Travancore at a time when there are currently no trains running. So, a Vande Bharat can depart Trivandrum at 1115 and run uninterrupted to reach Nilambur at 1705 in the evening, or in about 6 hours.
| No | Station | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thiruvananthapuram Central TVC | 1115 | This is the earliest possible departure time from TVC via KTYM after 0930. This is also the old departure slot for the 12625 Kerala Express. | |
| 2 | Kollam Jn QLN | 1205 | 1208 | |
| 3 | Kayamkulam Jn KYJ | 1240 | 1242 | There is no Vande Bharat express that currently stops at Kayamkulam. A stoppage can be afforded given the short run of the train. |
| 4 | Chengannur CNGR | 1258 | 1300 | The daily overtake of 16382 Kanniyakumari – Pune express may be scheduled at Mavelikara. |
| 5 | Thiruvalla TRVL | 1308 | 1310 | Currently no Vande Bharat express stops at Thiruvalla. A stoppage may be allocated given the short run of the train and as it is the only station in Pathanamthitta district. |
| 6 | Kottayam KTYM | 1335 | 1338 | |
| 7 | Ernakulam Town (North) ERN | 1430 | 1435 | Timings of the 66308 Kollam Ernakulam MEMU may be advanced by 5 minutes so it clears the path and turns into Ernakulam South just ahead of the VB’s arrival. |
| 8 | Thrissur TCR | 1530 | 1532 | |
| 9 | Shoranur SRR | 1605 | 1607 | The VB can depart Shoranur for Nilambur just after the Kottayam express arrives. |
| 10 | Angadipuram AAM | 1630 | 1632 | Angadipuram is the biggest station on the line for Perinthalmanna and other semi-urban agglomerations. |
| 11 | Vaniyambalam VNB | 1653 | 1655 | Crossing with the Nilambur – Palakkad passenger. |
| 12 | Nilambur Road NIL | 1705 | Platform 1 at NIL is free at exactly this time from 1645 until 1815. |
Nilambur Road NIL – Thiruvananthapuram Central TVC Vande Bharat Express (proposed) Timetable
Distance: 391 km | 11 halts | Travel Time: 05h50m | Avg Speed: 67 kph | 8 car rake | SR/TVC
The return timetable proposed for the Vande Bharat Express from Nilambur to Trivandrum is perfect in the sense that it gives the train a clear path to run all the way. There are no trains ahead and no overtakes required at all. It arrives at Trivandrum an hour after the Kasargod Vande Bharat and at a time when there will be platforms available at Trivandrum Central.
Currently there are no trains from Ernakulam to Trivandrum after the 20633 Vande Bharat leaves at 1920. This is ridiculous, considering the travelling population between the financial and political capitals of the state. This train will resolve that lacking. In this timetable it also runs as the perfect evening to late evening train from Shoranur, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Kottayam to Trivandrum.
| No | Station | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nilambur Road | 1755 | Leaves Nilambur along with the sunset. | |
| 2 | Vaniyambalam VNB | 1804 | 1805 | |
| 3 | Angadipuram AAM | 1830 | 1832 | Crosses the Shoranur Nilambur passenger. |
| 4 | Shoranur SRR | 1855 | 1900 | Timings of the 22150 Pune – Ernakulam bi-weekly may be slowed by 10 minutes to enable the VB to leave Shoranur before it arrives (though it might mostly be late). After this it has a clear path ahead for a free run all the way until Trivandrum. |
| 5 | Thrissur TCR | 1928 | 1930 | Fills the need of an evening train from Thrissur towards Trivandrum. |
| 6 | Ernakulam Town (North) ERN | 2025 | 2030 | There is no late evening train that runs from Ernakulam to Trivandrum currently. |
| 7 | Kottayam KTYM | 2120 | 2123 | The last late train from Kottayam towards Kollam and Trivandrum. |
| 8 | Thiruvalla TRVL | 2143 | 2145 | |
| 9 | Chengannur CNGR | 2153 | 2155 | |
| 10 | Kayamkulam Jn KYJ | 2212 | 2214 | |
| 11 | Kollam Jn QLN | 2245 | 2248 | |
| 12 | Thiruvananthapuram Central TVC | 2340 | Arrives TVC just behind the Rajdhani (during non-Monsoon timings). |
This proposed timetable for the Nilambur Vande Bharat is designed for real, practical purposes that can actually be implemented. The train will have only one scheduled overtake in total that it causes no disruption to the run of any other train. Platforms and maintenance and rake transfer slots are readily available at both ends. This train can be easily started if the Trivandrum and Palakkad divisions, Southern Railway and the Railway Board put their minds to it.
These two were easy. The next one is has been demanded multiple times but is harder to implment because it runs through heavy traffic.
Proposal 3: Coimbatore – Kanniyakumari – Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express via Trivandrum, Kottayam
Kerala is geographically aligned north-south and hence most of it’s transport arteries follow the same axis. The trunk line that branches off westwards from Shoranur towards Palakkad and Coimbatore and onwards to the rest of the country hence often appears neglected. This is evidenced by how bad the connectivity between Coimbatore and Kerala is. There is only one reliable day train between Coimbatore and Ernakulam (the 12677/8 Ernakulam – Bangalore Intercity) and none between Coimbatore and Trivanrum. It is absolutely astounding that there is no dedicated train between these two major cities. It would seem that Southern Railway is content with passengers cramming themselves into various long-distance trains that have hardly any space to sit or stand. This is where a Vande Bharat Express between Coimbatore and Trivandrum makes the most sense.
However, terminating the train at Trivandrum would see the rake ending up idling for 5 hours which presents an opportunity to extend it to Kanniyakumari. No Vande Bharat train currently reaches the southernmost station of the country. Such a schedule would give a great fillip to tourism and would be a boon to the much travelled section between Trivandrum and Nagercoil which though are part of two different states share centuries of cultural, socio-economic and liguistic ties.
The challenges with the schedule is that it would inevitably run through crowded traffic both ways and then the single line Trivandrum – Nagercoil section. On the other hand it is most definitely assured to run full even with 20 coaches. It can run on a RSA with the Chennai – Coimbatore Vande Bharat thereby improving rake utilisation as well.
Coimbatore Jn CBE – Kanniyakumari CAPE Vande Bharat Express via Thiruvananthapuram (proposed) timetable
Distance: 510 km | 9 halts | Travel Time: 08h00m | Avg Speed: 64 kph | 8 car rake | SR/SA
The proposed timetable would see the train run through dense morning rush hour traffic between Thrissur and Ernakulam. This would inevitably involve an overtake of the morning commuter passenger (at Irinjalakkuda) but the introduction of automatic signalling on the section would soften the impact of the overtake to just around 5 minutes. It would have to overtake two more trains before it reaches Kollam and one more at Trivandrum. The good part of this schedule is that it ensures a clear run on the Trivandrum – Nagercoil single line section.
What this schedule also does is to perfectly fulfill the need for a dedicated day train through central Kerala during the first half of the day. Even today we have only the Island Express on this schedule.
| No | Station | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coimbatore Jn CBE | 0520 | This is not just the obvious right time to start but it also is in the middle of an eight hour gap of trains towards Kerala from Coimbatore. | |
| 2 | Palakkad Jn PGT | 0625 | 0628 | Perfect early morning Intercity commuter train from Palakkad to Ernakulam |
| 3 | Trissur TCR | 0730 | 0732 | Morning premium commuter train between Thrissur and Ernakulam. |
| 4 | Aluva AWY | 0820 | 0822 | It has a stop at Aluva only because it runs through peak hours. |
| 5 | Ernakulam Town (North) ERN | 0835 | 0840 | Perfect late morning train from Ernakulam to Trivandrum. |
| 7 | Kottayam KTYM | 0930 | 0933 | Fast late morning train from Kottayam to Trivandrum |
| 9 | Chengannur CNGR | 1000 | 1002 | |
| 11 | Kollam Jn QLN | 1103 | 1105 | |
| 12 | Thiruvananthapuram Central TVC | 1200 | 1205 | Overtakes the Island Express to Kanniyakumari at TVC. It now has a clear path to run the single line until Nagercoil with no crossings. |
| 13 | Nagercoil Jn NCJ | 1300 | 1303 | Arrives at Nagercoil after which the Nagercoil – Kottayam passenger can depart. |
| 14 | Kanniyakumari CAPE | 1330 | Arrives at the southernmost station of the country just after the Tirunelveli passenger leaves. |
Kanniyakumari CAPE – Coimbatore Jn CBE via Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express (proposed) timetable
Distance: 510 km | 10 halts | Travel Time: 08h10m | Avg Speed: 62 kph | 8 car rake | SR/SA
The return schedule will run a comfortable and fast evening intercity departure from Trivandrum towards Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad. Such a timetable that is very essential does not exist today. It will have an aadditional stop at Kazhakuttom given it is is the evening time.
| No | Station | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kanniyakumari CAPE | 1505 | Departs Kanniyakumari ahead of the Punalur Express | |
| 2 | Nagercoil Jn NCJ | 1520 | 1523 | |
| 3 | Thiruvanathapuram Central TVC | 1620 | 1625 | Departs Trivandrum just ahead of the evening rush hour traffic with starts with 16316 at 1645. It is also the perfect evening premium train northwards from Trivandrum. |
| 4 | Kazhakoottam KZK | 1635 | 1637 | Stops at KZK only on the UP part of the run given it is a platform line and and since it will cater the huge passenger demand from the area towards nothern parts of Kerala in the evening. |
| 5 | Kollam Jn QLN | 1720 | 1723 | Overtakes the Nagercoil Kottayam daily passenger |
| 7 | Chengannur CNGR | 1813 | 1815 | The Himsagar group is overtaken at Tiruvalla |
| 9 | Kottayam KTYM | 1842 | 1845 | The Gujarat group weeklies are overtaken at Ettumanur. |
| 11 | Ernakulam Town (North) ERN | 1935 | 1940 | Perfect late evening train from Ernakulam towards Thrissur and Palakkad that does not exist today. |
| 12 | Aluva AWY | 1953 | 1955 | |
| 13 | Thrissur TCR | 2042 | 2045 | |
| 14 | Palakkad Jn PGT | 2155 | 2158 | |
| 15 | Coimbatore Jn CBE | 2325 | Arrives at Coimbatore close to midnight. |
The major challenge in its return run is a high profile overtake of the 12624 Trivandrum – Chennai Superfast Mail somewhere after Thrissur. This needs to be potentially avoided by speeding it up. This can probably be achieved by rerouting it through the Irugur bypass and Podanur instead of making it go via Coimbatore as it used to do historically. There are enough trains from Coimbatore to Chennai now so that this rerouting won’t be missed.
Proposal 4: Ernakulam – Trivandrum – Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express
The Ernakulam – Trivandrum Intercity sector is heavily travelled given it connects the financial and administrative capitals of the state. A decent transit plan would devise Intercity trains between the two cities at an interval of atleast 15 minutes to half an hour. However this does not happen in India given how shortsighted and clueless the administrators are. The introduction of the Ernakulam – Bangalore Vande Bharat however gives an opportunity to run a premium train between these two cities.
The idea for this train came from the fact that the rake for the proposed Ernakulam – Bangalore Vande Bharat schedule will be idling at Ernakulam Jn (and Ernakulam yard) for nearly 21 hours every day. This blocks an entire pit lane that could be used for at least another train. At first it might been to be prudent to extend the train straightaway to Trivandrum but there are no ideal slots (or platforms at Trivandrum) available for such a service, and given the odd timings it would mostly end up running empty between Trivandrum and Ernakulam. Instead of a direct service to Trivandrum this rake could be used to address a necessity for a premum Intercity train from Trivandrum in the late morning and from Ernakulam in the late evening via Alappuzha. This will benefit commuters and especially tourists alike. A later-starting copy of the 12076/5 Jan Shatabdi, if you will.
The biggest challenge for this route is the single line traffic between Ernakulam and Ambalapuzha. In addition since it runs during the morning and evening rush hour it inevitably will have to overtake some passenger trains on the way.
Ernakulam Jn ERS – Thiruvananthapuram Central TVC Vande Bharat Express (proposed) timetable
Distance: 206 km | 5 halts | Travel Time: 03h20m | Avg Speed: 62 kph | 8 car rake | SR/TVC
| No | Station | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernakulam Jn ERS | 1850 | The perfect premium commuter train from Ernakulam to Trivandrum during the late evening. It would run from Ernakulam Jn at the perfect timings that would enable people finishing work at 6 pm to comfortably catch the train from the center of the city. | |
| 2 | Alappuzha ALLP | 1932 | 1935 | The tourist destination of Alappuzha (Alleppey) can do with more short distance trains especially for European tourists who are used to taking public transport. |
| 3 | Kayamkulam Jn KYJ | 2005 | 2007 | |
| 4 | Kollam Jn QLN | 2037 | 2040 | |
| 5 | Varkala VAK | 2100 | 2102 | Varkala is an internationally renowned tourist spot and part of the Kerala tourist circuit frequented by most foreign tourists. A stoppage at Varkala will complete the Kochi – Alappuzha – Varkala tourist circuit where currently connectivity is poor. |
| 7 | Kazhakoottam KZK | 2128 | 2130 | Kazhakoottam doesn’t look like much but it is also the fastest growing suburb of Trivandrum and is also home to a crowd with large capacity for discretionary spending. All trains stopping at KZK see large crowds boarding it. |
| 8 | Trivandrum Central TVC | 2205 | — | Arrives at Trivandrum just behind the Venad Express. |
Thiruvananthapuram Central TVC – Ernakulam Jn ERS Vande Bharat Express (proposed) timetable
Distance: 206 km | 5 halts | Travel Time: 03h15m | Avg Speed: 63 kph | 8 car rake | SR/TVC
| No | Station | Arrival | Departure | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trivandrum Central TVC | 0730 | Leaves TVC just before the morning traffic from Kollam and Nagercoil starts rolling in. In this case you do not have to sacrifice your sleep (unlike the early one that leaves at 5) to catch this comfortable morning train from Trivandrum to Ernakulam that will still reach ERS just after 10. | |
| 2 | Kazhakoottam KZK | 0745 | 0747 | Also, KZK is the home of the Technopark, Lulu Mall and some of the highest conspicuous per capita spending capacities in Kerala. The commuting IT crowd will take to the train without a doubt. |
| 3 | Varkala VAK | 0807 | 0810 | Morning train from Varkala to Ernakulam. |
| 4 | Kollam Jn QLN | 0830 | 0833 | |
| 5 | Kayamkulam Jn KYJ | 0907 | 0910 | |
| 7 | Alappuzha ALLP | 0945 | 0947 | The morning passenger to Ernakulam will be overtaken at Alappuzha. |
| 8 | Ernakulam Jn ERS | 1045 | — | Arrives at Ernakulam Jn late in the morning. |
What this one could end up being is a premium fast Intercity train between Ernakulam and Trivandrum. What the Vanchinad, Intercity and later the Jan Shatabdis were envisaged when they were first launched. It is a perfect later evening premium commuter train from Ernakulam to Trivandrum and a later morning train from Trivandrum to Ernakulam both following the Jan Shatabdi, and a premium tourist train on the Ernakulam (Cochin) – Alappuzha (Alleppey) – Varkala – Trivandrum circuit that is frequented by a large number of foreigners as well, who are currently doomed to the broken NH66.
Understandbly this train will be the most difficult otto implement from all the proposals. However, it needs to be understood that what Kerala needs is regular qucik connectivity between its towns and cities and not super crawlers that stop at every station . And certainly not politics around the railways.
By including these proposals, the Vande Bharat timetable list for Kerala will look like this
Why Kerala does not get more Vande Bharat Trains
A lot of politics surrounds the Vande Bharat Express. What is interesting about the introduction of Vande Bharat Express trains in Kerala is that they are never introduced because of the effort of any MPs. Both Vande Bharat express trains currently running were seemingly announced unilaterally by the railway board and railway minister. The otherwise vociferous MPs from Kerala do little to get premium trains like Vande Bharat running in Kerala.
The reason is for this is that as far as politicians from Kerala are concerned, railway development means forcing trains to halt all stations in their respective constituencies. Kerala MPs are least bothered to present suggestions for fast and premium trains like Vande Bharat because they know they cannot force the railways for stoppages for the train in their constituencies. They lack a vision for long term development for the state and cannot think beyond the next election. They probably think that they will lose out on votes of “common” people if they spend energy for elite things like Vande Bharat and trains to Bangalore. And they also end up torpedoing sensible projects that were planned to facilitate fast, frequent travel through the state for the same reason.
Anyway we would liek to thank the railwaysfor paying heed to our voices and sanctioning the Bangalore Vande Bharat. Hope quite a few more proposed trains will be introudced including a Vande Bharat Sleeper from Trivandrum and Bangalore.
