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The proposed Nagercoil-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Sleeper Express has raised concerns among railway passenger groups over its travel time and ticket fare. The Eraniel Railway Passengers Association (ERPA) has requested Indian Railways to consider operating the train through Tamil Nadu instead of Kerala.
Nagercoil-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Sleeper Route
According to the association, reports suggest that the proposed train may run from Nagercoil through Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Coimbatore and Salem before reaching Bengaluru, which could take around 13 to 14 hours. The estimated fare for a three-tier AC ticket is around Rs 2,335.
The passenger association believes that this route would take more time and cost more for travellers, particularly those from Kanniyakumari district. It has suggested an alternative route that would pass through Tirunelveli, Madurai and Namakkal before heading towards Bengaluru.
The association estimates that the Tamil Nadu route would cover around 664 km. The journey could take only eight to nine hours, while the estimated three-tier AC fare could be around Rs 1,690. Therefore, passengers could save nearly five hours of travel time and about Rs 640 on the ticket fare.
The ERPA has also urged the Railways to improve connectivity for passengers from Kanniyakumari, Nagercoil and nearby areas & to extend the Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express to Nagercoil via Tirunelveli.
The association has also requested the Thiruvananthapuram Central-Mangaluru Express to Nagercoil extension. According to the group, this could provide better overnight connectivity between Kanniyakumari district and northern Kerala while also reducing congestion at Thiruvananthapuram Central. It has made several other requests to extend existing passenger and express services to Nagercoil, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi.
The final route, timings and fare of the proposed Nagercoil-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Sleeper Express will depend on the Railways' decision.