Madurai gets extra Vande Bharat: Why is Ernakulam–Bengaluru route overlooked?

Palakkad: When the 20-coach Vande Bharat train service begins operation on the Mangaluru–Thiruvananthapuram route, the existing 16-coach rake currently running this service will be handed over to the Madurai Division. With this, the Madurai Division will operate a total of four Vande Bharat trains.

Passengers, however, are demanding that this rake be used to relaunch the Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat service. Despite there being no disruptions on this route, even Union Ministers from Kerala have not intervened to restore this service.

The Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat service was halted to make space for the Madurai Vande Bharat train at Bengaluru Cantonment. While leaders of he ruling coalition at he centre from Tamil Nadu applied pressure to secure their state’s demands, their counterparts in Kerala limited themselves to submitting memorandums without initiating any follow-up action.

Currently, the Madurai Division operates two Vande Bharat services each to Chennai and Bengaluru. It is understood that the new rake will be deployed on the Rameswaram–Tirupati route. Authorities are also considering upgrading the eight-coach Madurai–Bengaluru Vande Bharat service to 16 coaches.

Although the Pamban Bridge and the restored Rameswaram railway station have been inaugurated, train services along this route have not yet returned to normal due to disruptions in the electric systems.

The introduction of a 20-coach Vande Bharat service on the Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru route will be a major relief for passengers. Despite being an important rail corridor, currently, no Vande Bharat trains operate via Palakkad Junction. Authorities have maintained that once the pit line at Palakkad Town station is completed, the Coimbatore–Bengaluru Vande Bharat service will be extended to Palakkad.