Rail passengers are calling for the Bengaluru Cantonment – Ernakulam Junction Vande Bharat Express (06001/06002) to become a daily service. Currently running three days a week as a special service, the train addresses significant travel challenges faced by Malayalis living in Bengaluru. With no morning buses to Northern Kerala, many rely on the KSR Bengaluru – Ernakulam intercity express.
The Vande Bharat departs Bengaluru at 5:30 AM on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays, arriving in Ernakulam by 2:20 PM. It leaves Ernakulam at 12:50 PM on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, reaching Bengaluru at 10:00 PM. This special service is scheduled until August 26. The train, with seven-chair car coaches accommodating 447 passengers and an executive chair car for 44, covers 620 kilometers in 8 hours and 10 minutes to Ernakulam, and 9 hours and 10 minutes back to Bengaluru. It stops at Salem, Erode, Tirupur, Pothannur, and Thrissur stations.
R Muraleedharan, General Convenor of the Karnataka Kerala Travellers Forum, suggests adding two more rakes to facilitate daily services both ways and proposes a stop at KR Puram in Bengaluru, especially for the Onam season.
In related news, the Railways halted online ticket booking for the Bengaluru Cantonment – Ernakulam Junction Vande Bharat special train (06002), causing confusion among passengers. Bookings for the first service on August 1 began on July 29 but were soon halted. Passengers can currently book tickets for July 31, August 2, and August 4 only. Fares are ₹1,255 (chair car) and ₹2,525 (executive chair car) from Bengaluru to Ernakulam, and ₹1,465 (chair car) and ₹2,945 (executive chair car) from Ernakulam to Bengaluru.