Malayalis rejoice as Bengaluru-Ernakulam train service gets green light for November

New Vande Bharat Express connecting Bengaluru and Ernakulam in Kerala is all set to launch in November, exciting the Malayali population in the tech hub.

The announcement of a new Vande Bharat Express connecting Bengaluru to Ernakulam in Kerala via Thrissur and Palakkad has sparked widespread appreciation and excitement among travellers, especially the large Malayali workforce based in the tech capital of India.

The Vande Bharat service between Bengaluru and Ernakulam aims to benefit IT professionals and commuters traveling between Kerala and Karnataka. (Photo by Santosh Kumar/ Hindustan Times)

The news was confirmed by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP State President in Kerala, who expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for approving the much-awaited service. The train is expected to start operations by mid-November.

"Bengaluru employs a large number of Malayalis, especially in the IT sector. For a long time, there has been a strong demand for more train services from Kerala to Bengaluru. This new Vande Bharat service will be a great relief for Malayalis traveling to Bengaluru," said Chandrasekhar in an X post.

He also revealed that the request had been taken up with the Railway Minister a month ago, and lauded the swift response from the Central Government.

Ashwini Vaishnaw also posted the announcement of the train, writing, “Glad to share that @RajeevRC_X Ji’s proposal for Vande Bharat Express between Ernakulam & Bengaluru has been considered and is set to launch by mid-November.”

Social media applauds move

Online platforms have seen a flood of positive reactions, particularly from Malayalis who frequently travel between the two states.

A post on Reddit announcing the train said, “New Vande Bharat service for Kerala allotted. Ernakulam - Bengaluru sector to commence from November.” Comments by social media users said "Finally, yes," and “Thank the lord.”

Demand for the route seemed to be strong, with a user posting, “@AshwiniVaishnaw, thank you sir, request you to please extend it till Trivandrum, this will connect both IT hubs of Karnataka and Kerala and will be a boon to IT industry and IT families running between these destinations.”

“This will also help commuters travelling to Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Selam from Palakkad and Thrissur,” another user commented.