TIRUCHY: Amid demands for a Vande Bharat train for Tiruchy, particularly when the semi-high speed train is already operating at speeds less than 100 kilometres per hour (kmph) in select routes, Southern Railway confirmed plans to run it through the division and stated that a proposal for the same has been sent to the Ministry of Railways. While a Vande Bharat train can run at a maximum speed of 160 kmph, it is operating at an average speed of 73 kmph in Kerala.
Similarly, the train hits an average speed of 86 kmph in the Chennai-Coimbatore route and 80 kmph in the Chennai-Mysuru route, the railway pointed out. V Annamalai, a senior citizen and regular passenger in the Tiruchy-Bengaluru route, said, “If they (railway) can run the train at low speed in Kerala and other routes, they have to consider its introduction in all possible routes, like Tiruchy. There is already growing demand for additional trains between Tiruchy and Bengaluru. If the railway introduces a Vande Bharat train between Tiruchy and Bengaluru at least on the weekends, youngsters would stand to benefit from it. Similarly, they can consider the train service between Chennai and Tiruchy, and between Ernakulam and Tiruchy.”
Reliable sources said that such services through the Tiruchy division would fetch revenue on a par with that recorded by operating it in routes like between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod. According to sources, the Vande Bharat train clocks revenue to the tune of more than 2 crores per week. For instance, from May 1 to May 7, the service between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod fetched earnings totaling to Rs 2.17 crore.
When TNIE contacted Southern Railway, it confirmed of plans to run the Vande Bharat train through Tiruchy. "The current maximum permissible speed in the entire stretch of the Chennai Egmore-Tiruchy-Madurai route is 110 kmph. The average speed of Vande Bharat if introduced in the section will depend on the number of stoppages. We have proposed the service on a route in Tiruchy and its details shall be shared after we receive the official notification from the ministry," it replied.
Sources said that the railway may introduce the Vande Bharat train at a low speed in the Tiruchy route, like in Kerala.
"Though the railway is running the train at an average speed of 73kmph in Kerala, it would gradually increase speed. Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw already announced that the railway would increase the speed of the train in Kerala to 110 kmph in one-and-a-half years. It may follow a similar strategy in Tiruchy. Initially, they may run at a speed of about 80 kmph, probably in the Chennai-Tiruchy-Madurai route and its speed would gradually be increased within a year," the source said.