HYDERABAD: In a major boost to long-distance rail connectivity, Telangana is set to get its second Amrit Bharat Express, further strengthening travel links between the state and southern India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Charlapalli–Thiruvananthapuram Amrit Bharat Express on January 23 from Kerala’s capital, as part of the launch of four new Amrit Bharat Express services across the country.
The new service adds to the existing Charlapalli–Muzaffarpur Amrit Bharat Express, expanding Telangana’s presence in the long-distance train network.
Operating as Train No 17041, the Charlapalli–Thiruvananthapuram Amrit Bharat Express will depart Charlapalli every Tuesday at 7.15 am and reach Thiruvananthapuram at 2.45 pm on Wednesday. The return service, Train No. 17042, will leave Thiruvananthapuram at 5.30 pm on Wednesdays and arrive at Charlapalli at 11.30 pm on Thursdays.
The train will halt at several key stations across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, including Nalgonda, Miryalaguda, Guntur, Nellore, Renigunta, Katpadi, Salem, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Kollam, Varkala and Kayamkulam.
Along with the Charlapalli–Thiruvananthapuram service, the Prime Minister will also inaugurate three other Amrit Bharat Express trains — Nagercoil–Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram–Tambaram and Thrissur–Guruvayur.
Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy thanked the Prime Minister and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for allocating another Amrit Bharat Express to Telangana, describing it as a significant boost to the state’s rail infrastructure and passenger connectivity.