Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express Completes Trial Run, Arrives 22 Min Ahead Of Schedule

The Vande Bharat Express, which was travelling as part of a trial run from Chennai to Coimbatore, arrived here on Thursday 22 minutes before the planned time of 11.40 AM. Five hours and 38 minutes later than when it left Chennai at 5:40 AM, the train arrived in Coimbatore at 11:18 AM. According to the sources, the trial run went off without a hitch, and the train departed on its return trip from Coimbatore at 12:24 PM with railroad officials, including Salem Railway Division Manager Pankaj Kumar Sinha, on board. 

The train had eight coaches, including one executive coach, and 530 seats in all. The scheduled arrival and departure timings of the train would be decided after the formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled on April 8, the officials said.

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Welcoming the train, various industrial and trade bodies said it would help increase trade, and sought a similar train to Thiruvananthapuram from Coimbatore, covering Palani, Tirunelveli, and Madurai.

With PTI Inputs