Indian Railways is expanding its fleet of semi-high-speed trains with the upcoming launch of four new Vande Bharat Express services. This move is part of the government’s ongoing commitment to enhancing rail travel experiences across the country.
The Ministry of Railways has officially released the schedule for the highly anticipated Bengaluru–Kochi Vande Bharat Express, with operations expected to commence soon. In addition to this route, three other Vande Bharat trains are slated to run on the Firozpur Cantt–Delhi, Varanasi–Khajuraho, and Lucknow–Saharanpur routes.
The Firozpur Cantt–Delhi Vande Bharat will serve as a vital link, connecting various cities in Punjab to the national capital, Delhi. Meanwhile, the Varanasi–Khajuraho Vande Bharat will bridge the states of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, offering a new travel option between these regions. The Lucknow–Saharanpur Vande Bharat will connect Uttar Pradesh’s capital with destinations in the northwest of the state.
According to railway officials, these four new trains have been officially notified. They will operate across Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi, signifying a significant phase in the rollout of faster and more comfortable rail journeys.
Bengaluru–Kochi Vande Bharat Express Schedule:
The KSR Bengaluru–Ernakulam Junction Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26651) is scheduled to depart from Bengaluru at 5:10 AM, arriving at Ernakulam Junction at 1:50 PM. The return journey (Train No. 26652) will depart from Ernakulam Junction at 2:20 PM, reaching Bengaluru by 11:00 PM.
This new service will make stops at Krishnarajapuram, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, and Thrissur.
Inaugural Service and Rollout:
The Ministry of Railways has instructed the Southern Railway and South Western Railway zones to operationalize the Bengaluru–Ernakulam service as early as possible. The inaugural service may run as a special train initially, before transitioning to its regular schedule.
This development marks Kerala’s third Vande Bharat Express, following the existing services on the Thiruvananthapuram–Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru routes.