- Passengers between Bengaluru and Kerala will get a 16-coach Vande Bharat Express soon
- The upgrade doubles seats from 530 to 1,128 to ease Onam travel rush
- Railway Board declined a separate Ernakulam-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat service
Passengers travelling between Bengaluru and Kerala are set to get major relief ahead of the Onam travel rush. The Railway Board has approved a 16-coach rake for the Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express, replacing the existing eight-coach service. Expected to begin operations next week, the upgraded train will more than double its seating capacity, increasing the number of seats from 530 to 1,128, as per multiple reports. The additional coaches are expected to ease travel during the Onam rush, with ticket demand remaining high ahead of the festival.
Waitlists Continue To Grow
Ticket bookings already reflect the festive rush. Chair car waitlists on the Bengaluru-Ernakulam route for August 21 and 22 have crossed 100, while return services from August 29 to 31 are fully booked. Railway officials expect the additional coaches to significantly improve ticket availability during the holiday season.
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Train Timings
The Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express (26651) departs Bengaluru at 5:10 am (except Wednesdays) and reaches Ernakulam at 1:50 pm. The return service, Train 26652, leaves Ernakulam at 2:20 pm and arrives in Bengaluru at 11 pm.
Proposal For New Kerala Route Declined
While approving the coach upgrade, the Railway Board has declined a proposal to introduce a separate Vande Bharat service between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. Officials cited operational constraints, saying the train, if launched, would remain idle for long hours at Thiruvananthapuram.
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Passenger Associations Suggest Alternative Plan
Passenger associations have opposed the Railway Board's decision, arguing that several railway zones already operate short-distance Vande Bharat services by linking them with longer routes.
They have proposed a similar model connecting Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai. Under the proposal, a train would leave Ernakulam in the morning and reach Thiruvananthapuram by 10 am, before continuing to Chennai at 11 am via Nagercoil, Madurai and Tiruchirappalli, arriving around 7 pm.
For the return journey, the associations have suggested a train departing Chennai at 8 am, reaching Thiruvananthapuram by 7 pm and Ernakulam by 8 pm. However, Southern Railway has not yet considered the proposal.
Onam 2026
According to Drik Panchang, the Onam celebrations begin on Atham (August 16) and culminate with Chathayam on August 28. The festival's main Thiruvonam day falls on August 26. The 10-day festival of Onam commemorates the annual homecoming of the legendary Asura king Mahabali from Patal Lok.
