PM Modi flags off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat train connecting Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram

Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the state’s first Vande Bharat train between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod from the Central Station on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome as he reached Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday morning. He then left for the central railway station.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor were also present with the PM as he interacted with the students inside the train.

The Vande Bharat Express, which will connect the state capital with the northern-most Kasaragod district of Kerala, Vande Bharat train will cover 11 districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.

The Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express train will operate on the Thiruvananthapuram Central-Kasaragod corridor and back as train numbers 20634 and 20633 respectively. There are a total of 914 seats in the chair car and 86 seats in the executive chair car.

Also Read: PM Modi To Flag Off India’s First Water Metro In Kochi, Know About Ticket Price,Routes

Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express train will run every day except on Thursdays. The train will begin regular operation on the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram route on April 26 and and on the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod corridor on April 28. It will take 8 hours 5 minutes to travel from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod. The train will depart from Thiruvananthapuram at 5.20 am and reach Kasaragod at 1.25 pm. It will depart from Kasaragod at 2.30 pm.

The fare for the entire 586 km distance in the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod route is Rs 1,590 (for CC) and Rs 2,880 (for EC). The Thiruvananthapuram-Kollam fare is Rs 435 (CC) and Rs 820 (for EC). The fare in the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram route Rs 1,520 (CC) and Rs 2,815 (EC).

After the flagging off of the train, PM Modi is scheduled to launch Kochi Water Metro service and several other developmental projects from the Kerala Central Stadium here.

He will lay the foundation stones of various projects, like the electrified Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section and the country’s first Digital Science Park, and dedicate them to the nation at a ceremony to be held at the Central Stadium.