Thiruvananthapuram: The second trial run of the Vande Bharat Express train was completed from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod on Wednesday.
The trial run started from Thampanoor here at 5.20am. Maintaining consistency, the service reached the Kollam station in 50 minutes during the second trial as well.
It reached Ernakulam in 3 hours 12 minutes which is 6 minutes less than the previous trial.
Time taken to reach each station during the trial run is listed below:
Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam: 50 minutes (Arrival: 6:00 am)
Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam North: 3 hours 12 minutes
Thiruvananthapuram to Thrissur: 4 hours 17 minutes
Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode: 5 hours 56 minutes
Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur: 6 hours 53 minutes
Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod: 7 hours 50 minutes (Arrival: 1.10pm)
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced the decision to extend the route to Kasaragod as he addressed the media in Delhi on Tuesday.
A trial run was conducted from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur on Monday. The train completed the run in 7 hours and 10 minutes.
Tracks to be strengthened
The minister said the rail tracks in Kerala will be strengthened so as to attain a speed of 110 km per hour within one-and-a-half year. In the second phase of development, the speed will be improved to 130 km per hour.
The Union minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given his ministry a clear mandate that the entire railway network of Kerala has to be significantly improved.
Union Minister of State from Kerala, V Muraleedharan, accompanied Vaishnaw at the press meet.
Vaishnaw said the Centre will implement a project for the comprehensive development of mobility in Thiruvananthapuram. A sum of Rs 166 crore has been sanctioned for this.
The Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala on Sunday urged the Union Railway Ministry to extend the route of the proposed Vande Bharat Express in the state upto Mangalore station in Karnataka so that people of Kerala's northernmost district of Kasaragod can also benefit from it.
