PM Modi flags off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express amid fanfare

Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wearing traditional Kerala 'mundu' and shirt, flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express at Thiruvannathpuram Central Railway station today.

India’s indigenously built semi-high-speed train, which triggered off both excitement and debates surrounding its efficacy in Kerala, will stop at 14 stops on the inaugural journey.

The train will later cover eleven of the state’s 14 districts including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod, the excluded districts being Alappuzha, Idukki and Wayanad.

Vande Bharat Express has already been reviewed extensively by passengers on social media giving thumbs up to its design, speed and stability, alongside state-of-the-art passenger amenities onboard.

However, since the train was offered to Kerala, debates around a semi-high-speed train plying at lower speed has been a talking point here, with experts saying that curvy tracks at places could impede speed.

Despite these arguments, passengers generally are enthusiastic about getting to travel on the train.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open several other projects in Kerala including the Kochi Water Metro, which connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats.

PM Modi’s journey to the Central Railway Station turned out to be a roadshow with thousands lining up on the road to greet him, showering flowers on his cavalcade.

Ahead of the PM Modi’s visit, the BJP leadership in Kerala started minority outreach visiting various Christian denominations, holding family visits and breakfast meeting with religious leaders.