India’s Railway Ministry is set to enhance the Vande Bharat Express service by introducing longer 20-coach trains on several routes, including the Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru service. This move comes in response to the high demand for seating, as these routes are experiencing overcapacity.
The Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru route (20631/20632), which currently operates with only eight coaches, will soon be upgraded to a 20-coach train. This upgrade will increase its capacity to 1,246 passengers, a significant rise from the current 200% occupancy. Similar upgrades are also planned for the Tirunelveli-Chennai route, where the existing eight-coach train will be replaced with a newly delivered 20-coach set.
The new trains will feature a fresh livery, moving away from the usual white-blue color scheme to a distinctive grey-black-orange combination. Additionally, Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod Vande Bharat service (20634), which currently operates with 16 coaches and carries 1,016 passengers, has proven to be highly successful, with full occupancy on most journeys.
The Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru service covers 620 kilometers in 8 hours and 35 minutes, with nine stops along the way. This upgrade follows the example of the first 20-coach Vande Bharat train, which began operating between Varanasi and New Delhi earlier this year.
Looking ahead, the Railway Ministry is also considering the development of 24-coach Vande Bharat Expresses, further enhancing the service to meet increasing passenger demand.
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