Kasaragod–Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express

Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express
Overview
Service type	Vande Bharat Express
Status	Operational
Locale	Kerala
First service	25 April 2023 (2023-04-25) (Inaugural run) 26 April 2023;2 years ago (2023-04-26) (Commercial run)
Current operator(s)	Southern Railways (SR) Thiruvananthapuram Division
Route
Termini	Kasaragod (KGQ) Thiruvananthapuram Central (TVC)
Stops	Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kollam Jn-Chengannur-Kottayam-Ernakulam Town-Thrissur-Shoranur Jn-Kozhikode-Kannur-Kasargod
Distance travelled	586 km (364 mi)
Average journey time	08hrs 05mins
Service frequency	Six days a week [a]
Train number(s)	20633 / 20634
Line(s) used	Shoranur–Mangalore section Shoranur–Cochin Harbour section Ernakulam–Kottayam-Kollam line Kollam–Thiruvananthapuram trunk line
On-board services
Class(es)	AC Chair Car, AC Executive Chair Car
Seating arrangements	Airline style Rotatable seats
Sleeping arrangements	No
Catering facilities	On-board catering
Observation facilities	Large windows in all coaches
Entertainment facilities	On-board WiFi Infotainment System Electric outlets Reading light Seat Pockets Bottle Holder Tray Table
Baggage facilities	Overhead racks
Other facilities	Kavach
Technical
Rolling stock	Vande Bharat 2.0 (Last service: 8 Jan 2025) Vande Bharat 3.0 (First service: 10 Jan 2025)
Track gauge	Indian gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC Overhead line
Operating speed	110 km/h (68 mph) (maximum) 73 km/h (45 mph) (Avg.)
Average length	480 metres (1,570 ft) (20 coaches)
Track owner(s)	Indian Railways
Rake maintenance	Kochuveli, Thiruvananthapuram
Route map Legend 20634 ↓ Thiruvananthapuram Central Kollam Junction Chengannur Kottayam Ernakulam Town Thrissur Shoranur Junction Kozhikode Kannur 20633 ↑ Kasaragod

The 20633/20634 Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Central Vande Bharat Express is India's 15th Vande Bharat Express train, connecting Kasaragod with state capital Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. ^{[1] [2]} The train service was officially inaugurated on 25 April 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Thiruvananthapuram Central. ^[3] As of July 2023, it is the best-performing Vande Bharat Express train service with an average occupancy of 183 per cent, according to official data. ^[4]

Overview

This train is operated by Indian Railways, connecting Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Shoranur Junction, Thrissur, Ernakulam Town, Kottayam, Chengannur, Kollam Junction and Thiruvananthapuram Central. This is the first Vande Bharat Express train for Kerala ^[5] and the third Vande Bharat Express train for Southern Railways. ^[6] It is operated with train numbers 20633/20634 on 6 days a week basis. ^{[7] [8]}

Rakes

It was the thirteenth 2nd Generation Vande Bharat Express train which was designed and manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) under the leadership of Sudhanshu Mani at Perambur, Chennai under the Make in India initiative.

As per latest updates, the current running rake would be converted to 20-car rake as this would benefit the passengers heading towards the capital city of Kerala, Trivandrum and other key stations like Kozhikode, Ernakulam Town and Kollam. This conversion of 16 coaches to 20 coaches commenced on 10 January 2025, starting from Trivandrum Central railway station. ^[9]

This is the third change in the Vande Bharat Express services after New Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express and Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express.

Service

The 20633/20634 Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Ctrl Vande Bharat Express operates six days a week except Thursdays, covering a distance of 586 km (364 mi) in a travel time of 8 hours with an average speed of 72 km/h (45 mph). The service has 8 intermediate stops. The Maximum Permissible Speed is 130 km/h (81 mph).

Incidents

Just a few days after the commercial run of this Vande Bharat Express train, an unidentified man pelted stones on this express train on Monday, 1 May 2023. This incident occurred near the Tirur railway station in the Malappuram district in Kerala around 5pm. Despite the crack, this train continued the journey and halted at the Shoranur Junction railway station. Once on arrival, the railway protection force inspected the cracks to find out this issue. Luckily no casualties were reported during this incident. ^{[10] [11]}

On 4 December 2024, the train returning from Kasaragod to Trivandrum faced an engine failure and was held up at the Shoranur Junction. As a result, the train was delayed for an hour. ^[12]

See also

• Mangaluru Central - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express
• Kannur–Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express
• Kozhikode–Thiruvananthapuram Jan Shatabdi Express
• Garib Rath Express
• Ernad Express
• Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station
• Kasaragod railway station

Notes

1. Except Thursdays

References

1. "Vande Bharat Express extended to Kasaragod; 130 kmph speed in 3.5 years: Rail min Ashwini Vaishnaw". English.Mathrubhumi. 18 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
2. "Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express to run till Kasaragod". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
3. "PM flags off Vande Bharat service". The Times of India. 26 April 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 26 April 2023.
4. "Kasaragod To Trivandrum Vande Bharat Train Best Performing: Official Data". NDTV.com. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
5. "PM Narendra Modi to flag off Kerala's first Vande Bharat service in Thiruvananthapuram on April 25". The Hindu. 14 April 2023. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 14 April 2023.
6. "PM Modi to announce Vande Bharat train services in Kerala on April 25". English.Mathrubhumi. 10 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
7. "PM to flag-off Vande Bharat Express on April 25". The Hindu. 22 April 2023. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 23 April 2023.
8. "Rousing reception as Vande Bharat train arrives in Kerala". The Times of India. 15 April 2023. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 29 April 2023.
9. "Kerala's 20-coach Vande Bharat rake reaches Kerala: Total capacity, facilities and more". Kerala's 20-coach Vande Bharat rake reaches Kerala: Total capacity, facilities and more. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
10. "Stone thrown at Vande Bharat in Kerala within a week of inaugural run; cracks on a window". OnManorama. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
11. "Stones pelted at Kerala Vande Bharat Express train in Malappuram district, security alerted, probe underway". DNA India. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
12. "Technical glitch: Vande Bharat halted near Shoranur for more than one hour". English.Mathrubhumi. 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.