Vande Bharat Services have not adversely impacted the journey time of passenger trains in Alappuzha section
Amid recent concerns raised by a section of rail users in Kerala regarding the alleged adverse impact of the introduction of Train No. 20631/20632 Kasaragod – Thiruvananthapuram Central – KasaragodVande Bharat Express (Via Alappuzha) on the punctuality of two passenger trains in the Ernakulam – Kayankulam section, the following factual details are offered as clarification:
Time Table Adjustments for Vande Bharat Express
To facilitate the operation of Train No. 20631/20632 Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram-KasaragodVande Bharat Express via Alappuzhaveryminor revisions to the timings of two passenger trains running between Alappuzha (ALLP) and Kayankulam (KYJ) were inevitable as it runs through an intervening single-line section of Ernakulam Jn and Ambalappuzha spanning 70 kilometers.
However, as against the alleged late running of these trains, the factual projection of the punctuality of these passenger trains‘before’ and ‘after’ the introduction of Vande Bharat Express are as follows:
| Train No. | Timings | Punctuality Percentage | Savings in Journey Time | ||
| Pre-VB | Post-VB | Sep.2023 Pre-VB | Nov.2023 (Post-VB) | ||
| 06451 (Ernakulam-Kayankulam) | 18.00-21.05 | 18.25-21.05 | 96% | 94.73% | 25 mins |
| 06452 (Alappuzha-Ernakulam) | 18.00-19.35 | 18.20-19.50 | 86.66% | 89.47% | 05 mins |
Therefore, the overall punctuality of two trains has either shown improvement or has remained nearly the same post-Vande Bharat Express. Moreover, the overall journey time for both the trains has been reduced by 25 minutes and 05 minutes respectively.
Alternative route for Vande Bharat
However, to restore the pre-Vande Bharat timings of these two passenger trains, an alternative option is to route the Vande Bharat via the Kottayam double line section. The Public representatives have been requested to consider the same if convenient.
This clarification is issued with the aim of providing transparency in regard to very minor adjustments made in Time Table of the said two passenger trains and facts about its current punctuality and journey time and to dispel any misinformation and false notions being created irresponsibly.
Southern Railway remains committed to optimizing rail services for the benefit of all rail users in Kerala.
