Bengaluru-Coimbatore Vande Bharat to start by December end

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is set to get its fourth Vande Bharat Express by the end of December, connecting it to Coimbatore. 

Railway authorities have tentatively approved the train that will link KSR Bengaluru with Coimbatore Junction via Salem. In all likelihood, it will be an eight-coach trainset, well-placed sources said. 

The Railway Board had asked for a report on the commercial and operational feasibility of running the semi-high-speed between the two cities. The report was submitted recently and the Railway Board's final approval is awaited, according to sources. 

Details about fares, stoppages and travel time will become clear only after the Railway Board gives its approval, the sources said. 

The current fastest train takes 6 hours and 45 minutes to cover the distance between the two cities. The Vande Bharat could take about five hours. 

There are two railway lines from Bengaluru to Coimbatore — a) Via Hosur and Salem (379 km); and b) Via Kuppam and Salem (420 km). 

It is not clear which route the Bengaluru-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express would take. While the line via Kuppam and Salem has been doubled and electrified, the one via Hosur and Salem remains largely single. Work is still underway to double the Baiyappanahalli-Carmelaram and Heelalige-Hosur sections. Similarly, the Hosur-Salem is also single. 

KN Krishna Prasad, of the Karnataka Railway Vedike, said the Vande Bharat should run via Bangarpet and Kuppam and that there should be stops at KR Puram and Bangarpet. Not only is this line doubled and electrified, but trains can also run up to 130 kmph after Tirupattur, he noted. Taking the Hosur-Salem would restrict the top speed to 80-100 kmph, he added. 

The Bengaluru-Coimbatore Vande Bharat is likely to be operated by the Southern Railway's Salem division. It's expected to leave Coimbatore in the morning and reach Bengaluru by noon before making its return journey. The primary maintenance will likely be at Coimbatore.