Railways likely to start Vande Bharat train between Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram?

People's representatives of Kerala and railway officials are not too keen to extend the Vande Bharat train to Mangaluru as the train that runs till Kasaragod now is already overcrowded. Kerala has jumped to the numero uno spot in terms of railway revenue in the country.
People pay three times more to travel in Vande Bharat train for the same distance. However, railway sources say that the ministry is studying a proposal to begin a new train that runs from Mangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram.

According to available sources the new train is likely to leave at 5.20 am from Mangaluru and reach Thiruvananthapuram at 1.30 pm. It is then expected to  leave Thiruvananthapuram at 2 pm and reach Mangaluru at 10 pm.

Currently in Karnataka, Vande Bharat train services operate between Mysuru-Chennai and Bengaluru-Hubballi. But no new trains have been introduced on Mangaluru-Goa-Mumbai route as passengers are not available as per the railway sources.

Already 36 trains are running between Kerala and Mumbai via Mangaluru. But there is a shortage of passengers on these trains from Mangaluru to Goa and Mumbai. Even on Mangaluru-Madgaon train there are not enough number of passengers.

Nalin Kumar Kateel says, “I have submitted a request to the railways to extend the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat train to Mangaluru. I do not have any information with regards to the new Vande Bharat between Mangaluru and Mumbai.”