Bengaluru-Kochi Vande Bharat Express launches Nov 11; check fares, timings, route

Vande Bharat

The South Western Railway (SWR) has announced the operational schedule and fare structure for the much-anticipated KSR Bengaluru-Ernakulam Junction Vande Bharat Express, set to commence its regular services on November 11. The semi-high-speed train will significantly cut travel time between the two major South Indian cities.

According to a Deccan Herald report, the express train will cover the 638-kilometre journey in eight hours and 40 minutes, slashing approximately 80 minutes off the travel time of the current fastest service on this route.

The service from Bengaluru (Train 20651) will depart at 5.10 am, arriving at Ernakulam Junction at 1.50 pm. The return leg (Train 20652) will leave Ernakulam at 2.20 pm, pulling into KSR Bengaluru at 11.00 pm. The train will make scheduled stops at KR Puram, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad and Thrissur. It will not operate on Wednesdays to facilitate maintenance, which will be handled by the SWR at its home base in KSR Bengaluru.

The fare details peg a Chair Car ticket at Rs 1,095, while an Executive Class seat will cost Rs 2,289. These base fares are exclusive of reservation fees, supplementary charges, GST and catering costs.

A notable feature of the pricing is that fares for the Ernakulam Junction to KSR Bengaluru direction will be higher for passengers who opt for the onboard catering service, as either lunch or dinner will be provided during this leg of the journey. The regular service will comprise eight coaches, including one Executive Class coach.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to flag off the inaugural special service via video conference on November 8. This inaugural run (Train 06652) will depart from Ernakulam Junction at 8.00 am on November 11, with an arrival time of 5.50 pm at KSR Bengaluru, preceding the start of the standard commercial schedule.