Bengaluru: Train travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai is set to be reduced by 25 minutes by Vande Bharat shortly. The south western railway (SWR) has conducted trial to speed up the train to 130 kmph from 110 kmph on Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section to make the entire stretch fit to run trains at 130 kmph.
Officials of the SWR zone said that the high speed trial of the train was conducted successfully on Thursday (December 5) on the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section, which had the max limit of 110 kmph. With this, the entire Bengaluru-Chennai route will be fit for 130 kmph operations.
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The trial was conducted after the upgrade of tracks, signalling system and other infrastructure. The strengthening of track infrastructure on the route would initially benefit two Vande Bharat and two Shatabdi Express trains that run daily between the two cities.
Officials said that the travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai on Vande Bharat will come down by 25 minutes to four hours, with railways looking to increase the speed on the section. Similarly, travel time of Shatabdi, which now takes around five hours, will also be reduced by at least 20 minutes.
“The revised speed will be implemented after receiving an all-clear from the commissioner of railway safety,” a SWR official said.
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As a precautionary measure, the public residing near the tracks were asked not to trespass on railway tracks. Passengers at station platforms were told to exercise caution, maintain a safe distance from the tracks and avoid trespassing.
Last year, the Chennai-Jolarpettai route was upgraded to 130 kmph while the train was allowed to run at the maximum speed of 110 kmph. Once the Bengaluru-Jolarpettai section gets the nod, the speed limit for the entire Chennai route will be 130 kmph.
While the Vande Bharat train achieved a maximum speed of 183 kmph during trial runs, its operational speed is capped at 160 kmph due to track limitations.
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The 360-km Bengaluru-Chennai corridor is a high-density route, housing major tech parks, manufacturing units, and residential townships. It connects Chennai, an automobile manufacturing hub, and Bengaluru, a prominent tech and startup centre.
“Increasing the maximum permissible speed beyond 130 kmph will require strengthening or rebuilding bridges, fencing, eliminating level crossings, and flattening curves or gradients. Additionally, the number of stoppages will impact the average speed,” an SWR official said on condition of anonymity.
