Upgraded 20-car Vande Bharat begins service Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru route

The Mangaluru Central-Thiruvananthapuram Central-Mangaluru Central Vande Bharat Express (20631/20632) has been upgraded to a 20-car rake from Tuesday, enhancing its seating capacity with an additional 312 seats. The new 20-car rake (the 89th manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai) commenced service from Mangaluru Central as per schedule, reached Thiruvananthapuram Central at 3 p.m., and departed for Mangaluru at 4.05 p.m.

With this, both Vande Bharat Expresses operating fully within Kerala now run with the maximum 20-car configuration, said a statement from the Southern Railway, Thiruvananthapuram division. The Thiruvananthapuram Division currently operates three Vande Bharat services, including the Nagercoil-MGR Chennai Central service which was also recently upgraded to 20 cars.

Divyakant Chandrakar, Divisional Railway Manager, along with Ms. Viji M.R. ADRM Thiruvananthapuram and senior officers, inspected the upgraded rake at Thiruvananthapuram Central station and interacted with crew, passengers, and staff. He thanked all stakeholders for their continued support. The service continues to enjoy wide popularity, achieving an impressive 160% seat occupancy, reaffirming the strong public demand for modern, comfortable, and high-speed travel, said the statement.