Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express starts its trial run on Monday from Thiruvananthapuram to Kannur. The higher officials and other staff allotted to Kerala are traveling in the modern train.
The train departed from Thiruvananthapuram railway station at 5.10 am and reached Kottayam at 7.28 am. It took 2 hours and 18 minutes to cover the Thiruvananthapuram-Kottayam route. The officials informed us that the schedule of the train will be out after the trial run.
The reports say that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat Express in Kerala on April 25 in Thiruvananthapuram. Modi will reach Kochi on April 24 to participate in a program titled “Yuvam”, where he will interact with lacs of youth and the state BJP will undertake a high-level campaign to make it a significant success.
The BJP announced the center’s plans to grant Vande Bharat Express train to Kerala. “The new Vande Bharat Express was a Vishu Kaineettam by PM Modi to the people of the state”, said Union Minister V Muraleedharan and state BJP president K Surendran.
The Vande Bharat train has 16 modern coaches and will have uninterrupted services. The semi-high-speed train can run up to 160 kmph and offer a better travel experience for passengers. Sources close to railways reveal that the train will cover 510 km in seven hours.
But the train cannot take its maximum speed initially in Kerala. The nature of the tracks in Kerala limits the speed to 110 km per hour.
The train will have only a single stop in a district. The stops suggested by the Southern Railway for the train are Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Thrissur, Tirur, and Kozhikode.
The specialties of the Vande Bharat Train:
- The indigenously-developed and built train can achieve a maximum speed of 180 kmph depending on the conditions of the track.
- The train can touch 100 kmph in 52 seconds.
- With driver cabins at both ends, there is no need to reverse the train, thereby saving time.
- Vande Bharat trains are fully air-conditioned.
- Automatic doors are a standard feature.
- LED lighting is another attraction.
- The washrooms use bio-vacuum technology similar to aircraft.
The arrival of Vande Bharat will be a hot political topic during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in the state, as the BJP leaders and workers are claiming that the train was allotted to the state thanks to the PM’s care for Keralites.
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