Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the highly anticipated Vande Bharat Express connecting Bengaluru to Madurai on June 20. The train’s schedule includes departure from Madurai railway station at 5:15 am and arrival in Bengaluru at 1:15 pm. On its return journey, the train departs Bengaluru at 1:45 pm, making stops at Salem (5:00 pm), Trichy (8:20 pm), and finally reaching Madurai Junction at 10:25 pm.
This launch marks the introduction of the first dedicated direct train service between Madurai/Tiruchy and Bengaluru, covering the distance in eight hours and 15 minutes.
The Vande Bharat Express will stop at Dindigul, Karur, Salem, Dharmapuri, and Hosur along its route from Madurai to Bengaluru. Initially operating with eight coaches, including two for Executive Class and Chair Class, the train is designed to accommodate additional coaches based on demand.
While ticket fares for the Madurai-Bengaluru route have not been disclosed, typical fares for Vande Bharat trains covering distances exceeding 400 km are set at Rs 1,300 for AC Chair Cars and Rs 2,300 for Executive Chair Cars.
Southern Railway currently operates Vande Bharat trains in Tamil Nadu, including services from Chennai to Coimbatore and Tirunelveli to Chennai, along with the Vijayawada-Chennai route via Tirupati.
Looking ahead, trial runs for Vande Bharat sleeper trains are slated to commence from August 15, while trials for the Vande Metro will commence soon.
