Kannur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the extended service of the second Vande Bharat express of Kerala. The train starts from Mangalore at 6.25 am and reaches Thiruvananthapuram by 3.05 pm. The return journey from Thiruvananthapuram is at 4.05 pm and reaches Mangalore by 12.40 am, the next day.

The train will run on all days except Wednesday from July 5 onwards. To accommodate passengers who have already booked their tickets, the train will provide service every day till July 4.

As more and more trains have started services, railway track repair is facing interruptions, said Thiruvananthapuram Railway Divisional Manager Manish Thapliyal.

Repairs on railway tracks are aimed at increasing the speed of trains to an average of 110 km/hr. Vande Bharat trains have provided more comfort to passengers and there are requests for more Vande Bharat trains, he said.