Bengaluru-Coimbatore Vande Bharat starts tomorrow

BENGALURU: Bengaluru will get its fourth Vande Bharat Express on New Year’s Day. 

Train number 20642/ 20643 will connect Bengaluru Cantonment with Coimbatore six days a week (no service on Thursday). 

On Saturday, the inaugural special train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video link. An Amrit Bharat train from Malda to SMVT Bengaluru was also flagged off on the occasion. 

The inaugural special train started from Coimbatore and passed through Erode, Salem, Thiruppur, Dharmapuri and Hosur to reach Bengaluru Cantonment. 

The regular service will cover the distance from Coimbatore to Bengaluru Cantonment via Hosur (403 km) in 6 hours and 30 hours. The return journey will take 6 hours and 20 minutes, according to Kusuma Hariprasad, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Administration), Bengaluru.  

The train will depart from Coimbatore at 5 am to reach Bengaluru Cantonment at 11.30 am. In the return direction, the train will start at 1.40 pm and reach Coimbatore at 8 pm. The average speed will be 60 km, as against 58.5 km of the current fastest train. 

The timings have disappointed railway enthusiasts and passengers. They say the travel time should have been less than six hours. 

The existing fastest train (12677-78, Bengaluru-Ernakulam-Bengaluru Intercity Express) takes 6 hours and 40 minutes between Bengaluru Cantonment and Coimbatore, according to the railways. 

KN Krishna Prasad of the Karnataka Railway Vedike said the Vande Bharat should have run via KR Puram, Bangarpet and Kuppam. According to him, running the train via Hosur means there will be no intermediate stoppage within Karnataka. 

Bookings have already begun and almost all seats are full for the first day.