Bengaluru-Kochi Vande Bharat Express schedule announced

The Ministry of Railways has announced the schedule for the new Bengaluru-Kochi Vande Bharat Express, which is expected to commence operations shortly. The train will connect KSR Bengaluru and Ernakulam Junction, marking the third Vande Bharat Express service in Kerala after the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru routes.

Train schedule and route
According to a notification issued by the Railway Board on Friday, train number 26651 KSR Bengaluru–Ernakulam Junction Vande Bharat Express will depart from Bengaluru at 5.10 am and reach Ernakulam Junction at 1.50 pm. The return service, train number 26652 Ernakulam Junction–KSR Bengaluru, will leave Ernakulam at 2.20 pm and arrive in Bengaluru at 11 pm.

The train will halt at Krishnarajapuram, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, and Thrissur.

The Ministry of Railways has directed the Southern Railway and South Western Railway zones to introduce the service at the earliest. "If required, the inaugural train may be operated as a special service which shall pick up its respective link subsequently," the notification stated.

(With inputs from PTI)