COIMBATORE: The new Vande Bharat semi high-speed train between Ernakulam and Bengaluru was given a rousing reception by BJP party cadres, members of railway passenger associations, and railway officials at the Coimbatore railway station on Saturday morning.
The train inaugurated virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on its inaugural run from Ernakulam to Bengaluru.
Coimbatore Mayor R Ranganayaki and Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Salem Railway Division, Panna Lal flagged off the train from Coimbatore where it arrived at 12.10pm.
Members of the BJP and passenger associations celebrated by distributing sweets to passengers at the station.
Railway sources said the ticket booking between Ernakulam and Bengaluru stations will be announced likely on Monday or Tuesday and only then the regular service of the new Vande Bharat train will commence.
The train has stoppages at Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Salem en route. It will complete the journey in 8 hours and 40 minutes and sheduled to reach Bangalore from Coimbatore within 5 hours and 30 minutes.
As per the schedule the train will leave Bengaluru at 5:10 am and reach Ernakulam at 1:50 pm; on return it will depart Ernakulam Junction station at 2:20 pm and reach Bengaluru at 11 pm. It will run six days a week, except Wednesdays.
On the demand for reducing the run time of the Coimbatore-Bengaluru train to 6 hours and 25 minutes, DRM Panna Lal told the media the time difference is due to the different routes they take.
"The Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat train is being operated along the Salem-Tirupathur route to reach Bengaluru at a speed of 110 kmph. However, the Coimbatore to Bengaluru train runs via the Dharmapuri route at 50 kmph."
"This is the third Vande Bharat train linking Coimbatore railway station: the other two that are in operation between Coimbatore and Chennai and Coimbatore to Bengaluru. The Ernakulam to Bengaluru train will benefit IT employees and businessmen in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Salem to reach Bangalore at the earliest," he said.
The DRM also said that the introduction of more trains will be considered once the infrastructure (to increase the speed of the train) works are over. Also the train route capacity and demand of the passengers will be taken into account.