THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod will start regular operations from Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the inaugural service from Thiruvananthapuram Central Station on Tuesday.
The first train (20633) will start running from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram on April 26. The service from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod will start on April 28. The railways fixed the fare and opened the bookings on Sunday.
The fare from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod is Rs 1,590 (chair car) and Rs 2,880 (executive chair car), while from Thiruvananthapuram to Kollam, it is Rs 435 (CC) and `820 (EC). There is a slight variation in the return service. The trip from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram will cost Rs 1,520 (CC) and Rs 2,815 (EC), while those travelling from Kasaragod to Kannur need to pay Rs 445 (CC) and Rs 840 (EC). All the fares are inclusive of catering charges.
The train will halt at Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Thrissur, Shoranur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod. The stop will be of two minutes each, barring Ernakulam Town where the train will stop for three minutes. The Southern Railway rejected the demand for a stop at Chengannur. The service will be available on all days except Thursdays.
