Pathanamthitta: Kerala’s first semi-high-speed train, Vande Bharat, is set for launch later this month. The Railways plans to run it with 16 coaches initially, but may prune it by half if the patronage is poor. A second Vande Bharat Express too is in the offing as the authorities intend to use the eight cars that would be hived off from the rake if the ridership for the initial service on the anticipated Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode route is below expectation.

The Railways intended to deliver an eight-coach rake for Kerala, it was a 16-car train that was delivered from the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF).

The rake arrived in Kerala on Friday ahead of its launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 25 at a function in Thiruvananthapuram. He will also perform the stone-laying for the renovation of the Thiruvananthapuram station on the airport model.

Uncertainty over second new rake

The 16-car rake will be replaced with an eight-coach one if the ridership falls below the target. If that is the case, it’s not clear whether the state would be handed over the second new rake as promised. The Southern Railway will be deploying it in the next planned route: Tirunelveli-Chennai.

Route of maiden Vande Bharat

The first Vande Bharat train is most likely to conduct a daily service on the 501-km long Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode route, though it was originally planned to operate up to Kannur. While the railway authorities point out that the service will be extended to Kannur at a later stage, there are apprehensions about lesser passenger patronage and the targeted revenue generation. An official announcement in this regard is yet to come.

While much demand is coming from various quarters to extend the train service up to Kasaragode and Mangaluru, the railway authorities point out that the same is not possible unless the tracks in Kerala are upgraded to enable higher speeds of trains.

Trial run

The trial run of the Vande Bharat Express before commencing the daily services will be held next week. The same will be held either on Monday or Tuesday, starting from Thiruvananthapuram at 5.30 am and returning to the state capital at 11 pm.

The Southern Railway has handed over six sets of time-table for Vande Bharat, though the one that is in consideration is the service that starts from Thiruvananthapuram at 5 in the morning to reach Kannur at noon and returns to the capital before 10 in the night. The Railway Board is looking to further shorten the running time of the time-tables, which are currently in the seven-seven-and-a-half hours bracket. However, some of the MPs from the state have approached the Railways demanding more stops for the train.

Vande Bharat to chug at 110 km/hr

The Railway Board has directed that the Vande Bharat train should be operated at a minimum of 110 kmph upon starting the service. However, trains can run at that speed only in the Shoranur-Mangalore section of the state currently.

Next likely routes in Kerala

Meanwhile, the two possible routes for the next Vande Bharat trains in Kerala are the Ernakulam-Mangaluru and Ernakulam-Bengaluru, both destinations in Karnataka. The same is likely to get delayed due to the coming into force of the Model Code of Conduct in the neighbouring state, where elections are set to commence on May 10. If the BJP exerts much political pressure, the second Vande Bharat may chug in another route within the state.

Boost to rail development

The launch of the Vande Bharat semi-high-speed train will register a new milestone in the rail history of Kerala. The upgrading of the tracks to operate the train will benefit other trains too.

Southern Railway General Manager R N Singh, the other day, travelled from Thiruvananthapuram to Kozhikode on an special inspection train to have a first-hand assessment of various issues relating to track and also those stations which are being renovated. He directed the officials to speed up measures for enabling train speed in those sections where the same is possible without any further land acquisition.

Will the PM announce more trains?

Many railway passengers in the state is hopeful of the Prime Minister announcing a few other trains. The Railway Board already provided sanctions for new trains in the Ernakulam-Velankanni and Kollam-Tirupati sections, besides extending the Thiruvananthapuram-Madurai Amrutha Express to Rameswaram, Guruvayur-Punalur Express to Madurai, and the Palakkad-Tirunelveli Palaruvi Express to Thoothukudi. The passenger associations have submitted a memorandum to the Railways Minister, demanding their inauguration along with the flagging off of the Vande Bharat Express. Union minister from Kerala V Muraleedharan too has given a memorandum.