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Kerala may soon get two more Vande Bharat services, according to Union Minister of State for Railways Suresh Gopi. He shared the information while attending an event marking the increase in coaches of the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express from 8 to 16.
At present, Kerala has three Vande Bharat trains. These include theThiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod, Mangaluru-Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam-Bengaluru services. The minister said the next Vande Bharat service is expected to be a sleeper train, aiming to make overnight travel between Kerala and Karnataka more convenient.
Bengaluru-Nagercoil Vande Bharat
According to the report, the proposed sleeper Vande Bharat will start from Bengaluru and travel to Nagercoil via Ernakulam. The service would pass through Kerala and reach the southern Tamil Nadu city of Nagercoil. If introduced as planned, the service could also address the long-standing demand for a direct Vande Bharat connection between Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram.
The proposed sleeper train is expected to be particularly useful for passengers who prefer travelling overnight. Instead of spending daytime hours on the journey, passengers could board the train in Bengaluru and travel through the night before reaching destinations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Vande Bharat Services to be Introduced during the Pooja Season
Suresh Gopi indicated that the new Vande Bharat services could be introduced during the Pooja season. However, the report does not provide a confirmed launch date, train number, timetable or detailed list of stops. These details are expected to be announced after the Railway authorities finalise the service.
The minister also mentioned another possible development involving Vande Bharat services in Kerala. The existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat could be extended further to Kozhikode, following a request from the Malabar Chamber of Commerce. There is also an existing demand to extend the service to Kannur.
If the proposed services are introduced, they could significantly improve overnight connectivity between Karnataka, Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu, while giving passengers more comfortable and faster travel options.