Archive · 18 Aug 2026
Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat upgraded to 16 coaches, doubling capacity
There is a very fast train in India called the Vande Bharat Express that travels between Ernakulam and Bengaluru.
It used to have 8 coaches, which are like the cars of a train.
Now it has 16 coaches, so twice as many people can ride on it.
The train can now carry 1,128 passengers instead of 530.
A minister named Suresh Gopi started the new, longer train at Ernakulam Junction on the first day of the Malayalam New Year.
The longer train adds 598 extra seats on every journey.
The change happened just before Onam, a big festival in Kerala when many people travel home.
The train was so popular that it had about 150 passengers for every 100 seats.
Railway officials say passengers will get more seats and better facilities.
People in Kerala's BJP party are happy and call the change an 'Onam gift.'
The Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express now runs with 16 coaches instead of eight, doubling its seating capacity from 530 to 1,128.
Union Minister Suresh Gopi flagged off the 16-coach rake at Ernakulam Junction on Monday, which marked the beginning of the Malayalam calendar New Year.
The expansion, effective from August 17, adds 598 seats per journey ahead of the Onam travel season.
The Vande Bharat service has recorded around 150 per cent occupancy, while two other Vande Bharat services connecting Kerala with Mangaluru and Kozhikode have recorded around 170 per cent.
Kerala BJP welcomed the decision as an 'Onam gift' and said the Railway Ministry may consider increasing capacity on Mumbai and Chennai routes.
- Who
- Union Minister Suresh Gopi flagged off the rake; Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw approved the capacity increase; Thiruvananthapuram Divisional Railway Manager Divyakant Chandrakar explained the decision; the service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- What
- The Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express was upgraded from 8 to 16 coaches, raising seating capacity from 530 to 1,128.
- When
- Monday, which marked the beginning of the Malayalam calendar New Year; the expansion took effect from August 17.
- Where
- Ernakulam Junction, Kerala, on the busy Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru route.
- Why
- To meet the rise in passenger demand during the Onam travel season.
- Train service
- Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express
- Coaches
- Increased from 8 to 16
- Seating capacity
- 1,128 (previously 530)
- Additional seats
- 598 per journey
- Flagged off by
- Union Minister Suresh Gopi
- Effective from
- August 17
- Occupancy
- ~150% on Ernakulam-Bengaluru service; ~170% on Mangaluru and Kozhikode services
- Reason
- Rise in passenger demand during the Onam season
