PM to flag off Vande Bharat train in Kerala on April 25, Infra News, ET Infra

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Prime Minister Narendra Modi would inaugurate Vande Bharat train service in Kerala on April 25. Sources said the PM who preponed his visit to Kochi by a day would reach Thiruvananthapuram on April 25 to launch the Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur semi-high speed train.

Empty coaches of the train have left Chennai for Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday evening. The rumours were in the air for a couple of days regarding the possibility of prime minister launching the Vande Bharat train service in Kerala on his arrival for Yuvam, a youth conference organised by Vibrant Youth for Modifying Kerala (VYMK) at Sacred Heart College grounds. An official communication from Southern Railway regarding the movement of empty coaches of Vande Bharat train released on Thursday evening confirmed it.

Sources in BJP said the Vande Bharat train is likely to replace the Jan Shatabdi trains currently operational in the state. Though the Vande Bharat trains can attain 160 kms per hour speed, it would be running at a much lower speed in Kerala considering the track conditions here.

Sources said the Railways plans to run the Vande Bharat Express train at 100 kms/hour speed from Thiruvananthapuram to Kayamkulam, at a speed of 90 km/hour from Kayamkulam to Shornur and at a further lower speed from Shoranur to Kannur.