Chennai: The main challenge faced by the Vande Bharat Express trains is their inability to attain a speed of 160 km/h because of the presence of curves on tracks. To overcome this issue, the Southern Railway has proposed the construction of Shoranur-Ernakulam and Kayamkulam-Thiruvananthapuram railway tracks.

The authorities have also dismissed rumours that they have abandoned plans to construct the much-anticipated third railway track.

Meanwhile, modification work is underway on the Thiruvananthapuram-Bengaluru track to enable trains to run at a speed of 130 km/h.

Currently, the trains that operate from outside the state have several stops in Kerala, making it highly improbable for them to achieve a speed of up to 160 km/h due to the frequent stops.