CHENNAI: Southern Railway is all set to reduce travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru as it plans to operate premium trains such as Chennai-Bengaluru Shatabdi express and Chennai-Mysore Vande Bharat express along with some other trains at 130kmph between Chennai and Jolarpet starting June. As a result, these trains are expected to save between 30 to 45 minutes on the Bengaluru route. However, travel time for other trains to Bengaluru is likely to reduce as many of them use the Jolarpet route taken by the above mentioned trains.
The Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat train is also being flagged off today, and it is expected to cut travel time to 5.50 hours due to the upgrade of the Chennai-Jolarpet route. A railway official confirms that premium trains like Vande Bharat and Shatabdi express will be speeded up and that more trains will be speeded up to reduce travel time to Bengaluru.
Railways is also working on upgrading tracks until Bengaluru for higher speed operation. The zone is identifying several express trains that pass through the route to operate them at an increased speed, which might require different types of testing. The coaches and locomotives already have the capacity to run at 130kmph.
Thanks to the upgraded tracks, the railways was able to increase the speed of 44 trains in the previous financial year. Additionally, the speed of the loop lines of various sections of Southern Railway has been enhanced last year and trains are now running at an average speed of 30kmph, up from 15kmph. All these efforts will also free up some tracks for freight services, according to a statement.
Southern Railway is also upgrading the rest of the routes to operate trains at 110kmph and 130kmph. Sources say the railways are focusing on speed enhancement because it plans on introducing self-propelled trains such as the sleeper versions of Vande Bharat services and MEMU versions of inter-city Vande Bharat services in the future.
The Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat train is also being flagged off today, and it is expected to cut travel time to 5.50 hours due to the upgrade of the Chennai-Jolarpet route. A railway official confirms that premium trains like Vande Bharat and Shatabdi express will be speeded up and that more trains will be speeded up to reduce travel time to Bengaluru.
Railways is also working on upgrading tracks until Bengaluru for higher speed operation. The zone is identifying several express trains that pass through the route to operate them at an increased speed, which might require different types of testing. The coaches and locomotives already have the capacity to run at 130kmph.
Thanks to the upgraded tracks, the railways was able to increase the speed of 44 trains in the previous financial year. Additionally, the speed of the loop lines of various sections of Southern Railway has been enhanced last year and trains are now running at an average speed of 30kmph, up from 15kmph. All these efforts will also free up some tracks for freight services, according to a statement.
Southern Railway is also upgrading the rest of the routes to operate trains at 110kmph and 130kmph. Sources say the railways are focusing on speed enhancement because it plans on introducing self-propelled trains such as the sleeper versions of Vande Bharat services and MEMU versions of inter-city Vande Bharat services in the future.
