Bengaluru-Kochi Vande Bharat Express Timings, Routes, Ticket Fare

The Vande Bharat Express, a new train service, is set to connect Bengaluru and Kochi, starting July 31. The inaugural journey will depart from Ernakulam and arrive at Bengaluru Cantonment on August 1. The train will run three times a week, making 12 trips in each direction.

According to M Senthamil Selvan, Chief Public Relations Officer, Southern Railway, the Vande Bharat Express aims to meet the growing demand for passenger travel between the two cities. With a reduced travel time of around nine hours, it will be the fastest train on this route, beating the usual 10-12 hours.

Here are the train numbers and schedules:

• 06001 Ernakulam-Bengaluru Cantonment Vande Bharat Special: Departs Ernakulam Junction on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays at 12:50 pm and arrives at Bengaluru Cantonment at 10:00 pm.
• 06002 Bengaluru Cantonment-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Special: Departs Bengaluru Cantonment on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Mondays at 5:30 am and reaches Ernakulam Junction at 2:20 pm.

The train will make stops at Thrissur, Palakkad, Podanur, Tiruppur, Erode, and Salem. It features eight coaches, including seven chair cars and one executive class.

Booking for the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Cantonment service is now open, with reservations for the return journey expected to start soon.

Fares for the Vande Bharat Express are as follows:

• Chair car: Rs 1,465 (includes meals)
• Executive class: Rs 2,945

Karnataka Railway Vedike's KN Krishna Prasad praised the new service but expressed concerns about the inconvenient timings and lack of a stop at KR Puram, a key area near Bengaluru's IT hub.

Bengaluru already has several Vande Bharat routes connecting it to Chennai, Mysuru, Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore. Plans are also underway for a new train to Madurai.