BENGALURU: The Commissioner of Rail Safety (CRS) has given the green signal for trains to run at a speed of 130 km per hour in the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section within the Bengaluru Division. This 144-km route is set to become the fastest in the entire South Western Railway Zone, said railway officials.
The speed limit permitted in this section presently is 110 kmph. The Bengaluru Division had conducted speed trials on December 5, 2024, to increase the limit by an additional 20 kmph. This section is one of the busiest ones in Karnataka with 50 pairs of Express trains, 20 pairs of passenger trains, three pairs of Vande Bharat (VB) trains and 1 Shatabdi train pair operated along this stretch.
A senior railway official told the TNIE, "The CRS has given the nod for it. We are awaiting approval from the South Western Railway Zone Headquarters from Hubballi. Trains will begin running for the enhanced speed within a week to ten days. This will save each train an average of 8 minutes." In the first phase, the speed of the two VB train pairs that run between Bengaluru and Chennai and the VB between Bengaluru Cantonment and Madurai will be increased. The increase will also be effected in the KSR Bengaluru-MGR Chennai Central Shatabdi Express and its pairing train," he said.
In the next phase, the speed will be enhanced for all trains equipped with the sturdy and comfortable Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) coaches, the official said. "This will include most of the passenger trains operated presently as LHB coaches are the norm now,"he added.
Another official said, "The section can permit 130 kmph but all trains cannot run at that speed. The suitability of the Rolling Stock (coaches) to operate at such a high speed is a crucial aspect. This will vary across trains. The train composition (number of coaches) too matters."