Southern Railways Gets a Boost: Two New Vande Bharat Trains Inaugurated

India’s Southern Railways received a significant boost with the inauguration of two new Vande Bharat Express trains by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new trains will operate on the Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil and Bengaluru Cantonment-Madurai routes, providing faster and more comfortable travel options for passengers. These services will initially operate as special trains before transitioning to regular schedules in early September. The introduction of these high-speed trains is expected to improve connectivity and reduce travel time between these cities, benefiting both commuters and tourists. Notably, the Vande Bharat service on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru route is temporarily suspended during Kerala’s Onam festival season, leading to increased demand and higher bus fares. The Railways’ decision to halt this service has been met with criticism from some passengers and organizations.