Tirur: As the second Vande Bharat train in Kerala has begun its regular operations, the service is experiencing an overwhelming response from the passengers, especially those in Tirur. As many as 44 passengers, from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Ernakulam, reached Tirur on board the train that originated from the state capital yesterday. At the same time, ten passengers bound for Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod stations boarded the train from the station here.
On the first day of its service, the Vande Bharat Express (20631) recorded a combined passenger occupancy ratio of 161.5 % across its Chair Car (CC) and Executive Class (EC) segments. Of the 856 persons who booked tickets, as many as 530 boarded the train and a majority of them travelled between Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam.
Meanwhile, the tickets for Vande Bharat services between Tirur and Thiruvananthapuram and also in the reverse direction are on the waiting list till October 2. There are no tickets available between Tirur and Kasaragod either. The initial trends suggest that the allocation of a stop-over for the new train at Tirur will bring in rich dividends to the railway.
Meanwhile, members of the Malabar Rail Users forum led by its chairman Muneer Kurumbadi and Shamsudeen Nalakath took out their first journey on board the Vande Bharat on its first day of normal operations.
The ticket fares for Vande Bharat trains between Tirur, and various stations are given below:
Kasaragod - Rs 870 (AC Chair car - CC), Rs 1505 (AC
Executive Class - EC)
Kannur – Rs 725, Rs 1210
Kozhikode – Rs 365, Rs 690
Shoranur – Rs 380, Rs 705
Thrissur -- Rs 440, Rs 835
Ernakulam – Rs 540, Rs 1035
Alappuzha – Rs 635, Rs 1230
Kollam – Rs 995, Rs 1755
Thiruvananthapuram – Rs 1100, Rs 1955
The Vande Bharat service (20631) from Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram operates on all days of the week except on Tuesdays. The Vande Bharat (20632) from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod operates on all days of the week except Mondays.