The new 20-car Vande Bharat Express rake deployed on Mangaluru Central-Thiruvananthapuram Central-Mangaluru Central began its maiden journey on Tuesday from Mangaluru. It was running with 16 cars hitherto.
Train No. 20631 was received at Thiruvananthapuram Central by Southern Railway’s Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager Divyakant Chandrakar, Additional DRM M.R. Viji, and senior officers, said an official release.
Railways doubled the number of coaches on Train Nos. 20631/632 from eight to 16 with effect from May 22. The addition comes within about three months of the latest revision in coach composition. The services, which were initially operating between Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram, were extended to Mangaluru Central on March 13, 2024.
The new 20-car rake, the 89th manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, commenced services from Mangaluru Central as per schedule at 6.25 a.m. and reached Thiruvananthapuram Central at 3 p.m. and departed for Mangaluru at 4.05 p.m.
Consequent to augmenting four more chair car coaches, the capacity of the VB Express rose from 1,128 to 1,440 seats.
