Kerala: Second Trial Run Of Vande Bharat Express From Thiruvananthapuram To Kasaragod Successful, Records Improved Timings

Kerala's First Vande Bharat Express completed its second trial run successfully, reaching Kasaragod after seven hours and fifty minutes from Thiruvananthapuram.

The train will be flagged off on 25 April by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On 17 April, the Vande Bharat Express completed its first successful trial run, covering a distance of 480 km between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur in seven hours and 10 minutes.

The train was originally planned to run the Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur route. The route is now extended and will run till Kasaragod.

The first phase of the train run took fifty minutes to reach Kollam, similar to its inaugural run.

However, the second trial run resulted in a reduced travel time of three hours and twelve minutes from Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam. Moreover, the train arrived ten minutes early in Thrissur and twelve minutes earlier in Kozhikode.

The return journey from Kasaragod began at 2.25pm, and the train stopped only at predetermined locations, rather than making impromptu stops as requested by some parties. The Union railway minister rejected calls for multiple stops, citing the possibility of going away from the train's central concept.

Compared to the time taken by Rajdhani Express, Vande Bharat Express completed its journey early by 1 hour and 19 minutes as per the Times Of India report.

The initial plan is to upgrade the tracks in Kerala to accommodate train travel at 110 km per hour. Thereafter, the infrastructure will be further enhanced to allow travel at speeds of 130 per hour within three to four years.

The ultimate goal is to enable the Vande Bharat Express to operate at 160 kmph; however, this rate requires significant planning and effort to achieve.

MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted that he eagerly anticipates the launch of the Vande Bharat Express and excitedly awaits the upcoming event. He reiterated that progress and development should not be driven by politics as this train would serve as a much-needed solution for a high-speed train that promotes the state's growth.