The Ernakulam–KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat is one of four trains recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is Southern Railway’s first inter-state semi-high-speed premium service connecting Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
The train will facilitate travel for business, education, tourism, pilgrimage, and healthcare by linking the three states.
Ernakulam–KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat: Southern Railway’s First Inter-State Semi-High-Speed Premium Train
It has eight coaches and passes through major cities including Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Krishnarajapuram, and KSR Bengaluru.
Chair car seats are priced at ₹1,095, while executive class seats cost ₹2,289.
Officials expect the new link to boost business and tourism across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka.
Kerala will now have three Vande Bharat trains originating from the state.
Southern Railway stated that the KSR Bengaluru–Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express will offer seamless travel between Bengaluru and Ernakulam, Kerala’s commercial hub.
Existing Vande Bharat Services in Kerala: Connecting the State’s Northern and Southern Ends
The other two Vande Bharat services in Kerala are Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram (via Kottayam) and Thiruvananthapuram to Mangaluru Central (via Alappuzha), connecting the northern and southern ends of the state.
Currently, intercity trains take more than 11 hours to travel the 583-km Bengaluru–Ernakulam route.
The new Vande Bharat will complete the journey in 8 hours and 40 minutes.
Regular operations start on November 9, 2025.
The train will depart Bengaluru at 5:10 am and arrive at Ernakulam at 1:50 pm; the return service will leave Ernakulam at 2:20 pm and reach Bengaluru at 11 pm.
It will run six days a week, excluding Wednesdays.
Southern Railway noted that this train provides the fastest connectivity on this high-demand corridor and is the first Vande Bharat to serve Palakkad, called the “Gateway of Kerala.”
The Vande Bharat model offers premium onboard features such as GPS-based infotainment, bio-vacuum toilets, ergonomic seating, automatic doors, reading lights, and Wi-Fi.
According to the Railway Ministry, more than 164 Vande Bharat trains are currently operating in India.
