Vande Bharat reaches Bengaluru 9 hours late; Passengers take frustration online

Kochi: Passengers travelling on the Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express faced major delays this week, with some waiting on the platform for more than six hours before boarding and eventually reaching Bengaluru nearly nine hours behind schedule.

The disruption triggered complaints from angry passengers, many of whom raised the issue through the RailMadad grievance portal. Complaints are also understood to have reached Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Train reaches Bengaluru nearly 9 hours late

The Bengaluru-bound Vande Bharat Express (26652), scheduled to depart Ernakulam at 2:20 pm on Tuesday, left only at 9:07 pm

The train was expected to arrive in Bengaluru at 11 pm the same day but reached the city at 7:51 am on Wednesday.

The return service, the Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express (26651), also experienced delays. Scheduled to depart Bengaluru at 5:10 am on Tuesday, it left five hours and 10 minutes behind schedule.

Thousands of Malayali travellers affected

The delays have affected thousands of Malayalis who travel regularly between Kerala and Bengaluru for work and education.

Several passengers said the trains have been delayed on multiple occasions in recent months. Even when a service arrives only a couple of hours late, mandatory inspections, cleaning and other turnaround procedures often push back the departure of the return journey.

Railways blame maintenance work and traffic restrictions

Railway officials said the delayed arrival of the train from Bengaluru was the primary reason for the late departure from Ernakulam.

According to the Railways, maintenance work in areas under the Bengaluru Railway Division, including Whitefield, has affected operations. Officials also cited traffic regulation measures and operational blocks on the route as contributing factors.

The Railways said passengers had been informed about the delays through official announcements and social media updates. However, travellers complained that revised departure times were repeatedly extended, forcing them to remain at stations for hours beyond the announced schedules.

Popular service among Bengaluru's Malayali community

The Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat service was introduced amid strong demand from the large Malayali community living in Bengaluru.

Until about six weeks ago, the train had largely maintained its schedule, according to passengers.

The service is one of four Vande Bharat trains inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi in October last year.

The route quickly gained popularity. More than 55,000 passengers travelled on the service during its first month of operation, and waiting lists continue to remain long.

Route and fare details

The train covers the 630-kilometre distance between Bengaluru and Ernakulam in a scheduled travel time of 8 hours and 40 minutes and has nine stops along the route.

A Chair Car ticket between Ernakulam and Bengaluru costs ₹1,630, while an Executive Chair Car ticket costs ₹2,995.

The train has about 530 seats across eight coaches and operates on all days except Wednesday.