ERNAKULAM: The Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat, one of the four trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Saturday, is the first inter-state semihigh-speed premium train service linking Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Southern Railways said.
Since it links three states, the train will boost business and tourism, officials said.
The eight-coach train traverses major cities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, and Salem, before reaching Krishnarajapuram and KSR Bengaluru. It is the third Vande Bharat train that originates from Kerala.
“KSR Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express will provide seamless connectivity between Ernakulam, the commercial capital of Kerala, and the cosmopolitan city of Bengaluru,” a press note from Southern Railway said.
An intercity train service that runs between Ernakulam and Bengaluru takes over 11 hours to cover the 583-km distance. However, the new Vande Bharat train will complete this journey in 8 hours and 40 minutes, officials said.
The train’s regular service will start from November 9, 2025, when it departs from Bengaluru at 5:10 am to arrive in Ernakulam at 1:50 pm. On its return journey, the train will depart from Ernakulam at 2:20 pm and arrive in Bengaluru at 11 pm. It will operate six days a week, except Wednesdays.
Southern Railway said it would provide fastest connectivity between Ernakulam and Bengaluru which is a high traffic demand corridor.