Good News: Kerala Likely to Get New Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains; Railways Eyes Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Route

Good News: Kerala Likely to Get New Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains; Railways Eyes Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Route

New Delhi: Indian Railways is expecting to launch new Vande Bharat Sleeper trains by Diwali, with Kerala expected to find a place in the second phase of operations.

While the southern state has not been included in the initial rollout, there is growing demand for the premium sleeper version following the overwhelming success of the chair car variant in Kerala.

Also Read:- Good News for passengers! Now train journey will be easy, Indian Railways to launch 50 New Namo Bharat and 100 MEMU Trains for Short-Distance Travel, check details

During a meeting with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan proposed three potential routes for Kerala: Kozhikode–Bengaluru, Kozhikode–Chennai, and Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru. Indian Railways has shown greater interest in the Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru route, after noticing strong passenger demand.

Currently, three night trains operate on the route—the Malabar Express (16629/16630), the Mangaluru/Thiruvananthapuram Express (16347/16348), and the Maveli Express (16603/16604). All three run at full occupancy with daily waiting lists, forcing many travelers to turn to costly private bus services.

Railway officials believe that adding Vande Bharat Sleeper trains on this route would not only attract more passengers but also make travel via train more comfortable travel with ease congestion on existing services.