- By Deeksha Gour
- Thu, 05 Dec 2024 04:04 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bengaluru-Chennai Vande Bharat: Travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai on the Vande Bharat train are set to decrease by 25 minutes, bringing the journey down to four hours. This improvement comes as the railways plan to increase the train's speed on this route.
Additionally, the Shatabdi Express, which currently takes around five hours for the same journey, will also see a reduction of at least 20 minutes. The Bengaluru division of the South Western Railway (SWR) is conducting a speed trial on the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section on December 5, aiming to raise the speed limit from 110 km/h to 130 km/h. The increased speed will be implemented following approval from the Commissioner of Railway Safety.
In a statement, SWR advised the public to refrain from trespassing on railway tracks and urged passengers to maintain a safe distance from the platforms.
Last year, the Chennai-Jolarpettai route was upgraded to support speeds of 130 km/h. Once the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section receives approval, the entire Chennai route will operate at this higher speed. This upgrade will benefit two Vande Bharat and Two Shatabdi Express trains that run daily between the two cities.
While the Vande Bharat train has achieved a maximum speed of 183 km/h during trial runs, its operational speed is limited to 160 km/h due to existing track conditions.
The 360-km route between Bengaluru and Chennai is a key corridor, connecting major tech parks, manufacturing units and residential areas. An official from SWR noted that increasing the permissible speed beyond 130 km/h would require significant infrastructure improvements, including strengthening bridges and eliminating level crossings. The number of stops along the route will also affect the average speed.