Railway authorities will conduct a trial run of the Vande Bharat between Bengaluru and Dharwad on Monday, running the premium train at a speed of 110 kmph.
Manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, the eight-coach trainset will depart from KSR Bengaluru at 5.45 am and reach Dharwad at 12.40 pm before embarking on its return journey.
While going to Dharwad, the train will stop at Yeshwantpur (5.55 am/5.57 am), Davangere (9.58 am/10 am) and Hubballi (12.10 pm/12.15 pm). On the way back, it will stop at Hubballi (1.35 pm/1.40 pm), Davangere (3.48 pm/3.50 pm) and Yeshwantpur (7.45 pm/7.47 pm) to chug into KSR Bengaluru at 8.10 pm, Aneesh Hegde, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway, said in a statement.
The train will follow the same timings when it begins commercial operations, most likely on June 28. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag it off via video conference on June 26.
Hegde told DH that the purpose of the trial run was to assess various operational and technical parameters. According to him, a large portion of the Bengaluru-Hubballi route has been made fit for trains to run at speeds of 110 kmph. This was achieved by straightening curves and removing PSRs (Permanent Speed Restrictions).
This will be Karnataka's exclusive Vande Bharat. The first, which links Mysuru and Chennai via Bengaluru, runs mostly in Tamil Nadu and is operated by the Southern Railway.
While there is no official word yet on the fares for the Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express, it will likely be around Rs 1,000, inclusive of meals.