Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday virtually flagged off Kerala’s third Vande Bharat Express, connecting Ernakulam with Bengaluru, marking another milestone in the expansion of India’s semi-high-speed rail network. Modi inaugurated the service from Varanasi, while the main event took place at Ernakulam South railway station, attended by officials, elected representatives, and students.
The new Vande Bharat Express covers 608 kilometres in around nine hours, with 11 scheduled stops Thrissur, Shoranur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Jolarpettai, Krishnarajapuram, and KSR Bengaluru. The train departs Ernakulam at 2:20 pm and arrives in Bengaluru at 11 pm, with the return service leaving Bengaluru at 5:10 am and reaching Ernakulam by 1:50 pm. Officials said the service will significantly boost passenger connectivity between Kerala and Karnataka, easing travel time and improving regional mobility.
However, the inauguration was not without controversy. A video shared by Southern Railway’s official X handle showing school students singing a song associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during the inaugural run sparked sharp criticism online. The clip, which was part of the launch-day celebrations inside the coach, went viral within hours before being deleted from the official account following public backlash. Railway authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
Among those present at the Ernakulam event were Kerala Governor Rajendra V Arlekar, Union Minister of State for Fisheries George Kurian, State Law Minister P Rajeeve, and MPs Hibi Eden and T J Vinod. Students performed patriotic songs and cultural pieces before the train’s departure, which was delayed from 8 am to 8:45 am due to the formal proceedings.
At the same ceremony, the Prime Minister also launched four other Vande Bharat Express services including routes on the Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Firozpur, and Delhi sectors taking the total count under Southern Railway’s network to 12.
Railway officials hailed the new Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat as a symbol of “modern mobility, faster intercity travel, and regional integration,” while political debates continued to swirl over the RSS-linked song video.
