THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vande Bharat trains continue to be among the most preferred services for rail passengers in Kerala, with occupancy levels consistently crossing 160% on routes such as Mangaluru Central-Thiruvananthapuram, Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod, and Nagercoil-Chennai Egmore.
Despite the strong patronage, sources said the railway ministry has not granted additional services to Kerala, citing severe track congestion.
Introducing new high-speed trains would force the Railways to halt several passenger services for longer durations to clear a corridor for Vande Bharat operations.
Earlier this month, on September 9, the Railways expanded the coach composition of both the Mangaluru Central-Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharats from 16 to 20. The seating capacity of a 20-seater Vande Bharat service is 1,440 passengers.
Yet, according to senior railway officials, the average footfall on these trains under Thiruvananthapuram division remains far higher -- between 2,300 and 2,500 passengers per trip -- clearly reflecting the overwhelming demand.
Although the Nagercoil-Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat does not run through Kerala, it falls under the Thiruvananthapuram division, and many passengers from the state capital rely on this service to reach Chennai.
“There is no doubt that Vande Bharat services enjoy tremendous patronage in Kerala,” a senior railway official said.
“But if we introduce an additional Vande Bharat, we will be compelled to halt many passenger trains at various stations to clear the way for the high-speed train with limited stops. That would affect thousands of daily commuters and balancing these competing demands is not an easy task.”
Sources in the railway ministry admitted the issue has become a major puzzle for policymakers. While demand is particularly strong for a direct Vande Bharat service to Bengaluru, officials said running one along the congested Kerala-Bengaluru corridor is extremely difficult.
“We cannot estimate how many passenger trains would be affected if a Vande Bharat is introduced from Ernakulam or any other Kerala station to Bengaluru. Such a move could trigger criticism, as it will affect many other passenger trains. The Railways has to consider the interests of all sections of passengers, not just premium travellers,” a senior ministry official said.
Infrastructure expert E Sreedharan, popularly known as Metro Man, echoed the assessment. He noted that under the current circumstances, the introduction of more Vande Bharats in Kerala is not feasible.
“If new services are introduced, they will either be forced to run at reduced speeds or disrupt passenger train schedules. The practical solution is to keep increasing coach capacity, as the Railways has already done. In the longer run, creating a dedicated high-speed corridor will be the only way to run more such trains without disruption,” Sreedharan said.
Regular commuters also urged the Railways to focus on expanding capacity in the short term. “There is no point in running Vande Bharats at low speed,” said Rajesh Kumar, a frequent traveller.
“If new trains cannot be introduced immediately, at least add more coaches to existing services and consider a special project for Kerala to accommodate more high-speed trains.”
For now, Kerala’s Vande Bharat puzzle remains unsolved: demand soaring, but the tracks too crowded to make room for more services.