THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vande Bharat Express covered the 574 km distance between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod in 7 hours and 50 minutes in the second trial run held on Wednesday. The trial, necessitated after the service was extended to Kasaragod, also saw the train improve on its running time. It reached Kannur in six hours 53 minutes, which was 17 minutes faster than the 7 hours 10 minutes it took in the first trial on Monday.
The train left Thiruvananthapuram Central at 5.20am and reached Kasaragod at 1.10pm, hitting the top speed of 110 kmph on the Shoranur-Kasaragod stretch.
BJP workers, Congress leaders, including Kasaragod MP Rajmohan Unnithan, and the public turned up at Kasaragod to accord a reception to the train. It left Kasaragod at 2.25pm.
Meanwhile, authorities are laying the ground work at Thiruvananthapuram Central station for the PM’s visit on April 25.