Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express witnessed a joyous welcome as the tickets for the semi-high-speed train got sold out in just three hours following the opening day booking on Friday. The train was flagged for its first commercial run on April 9th by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw sharing the news said, “Tamil Nadu’s admiration for PM @narendramodi Ji’s #VandeBharat!
There were spontaneous celebrations from the travellers clapping and shouting in joy as the train chugged away from Chennai Central clocking at a speed of 130 km/hour.
The train is one of its kind as it connects routes with lesser rail traffic but is comparatively busy considering its industrial importance. Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu is known for its flourishing textile industry. It is also an important industrial centre and is close to Kerala. Hence the launch of the Vande Bharat Express to this city is considered a game-changer for the entire corridor.
The train, which departs from Coimbatore at 6 am every day except on Wednesday, will reach its destination in just over five hours. The journey between the two cities usually takes around seven hours. During its journey between the two cities, the train will stop at three stations – Salem Junction, Erode Junction, and Tiruppur.
The tickets for the train that will run from the city of Chennai to the city of Coimbatore were also snapped up in a very short time. The same tickets for the next few days were also in high demand.
The ticket price for the Vande Bharat ( Train No- 20643) between the two cities of Coimbatore and Chennai in AC Chair Caris is Rs 1365. It also includes additional charges for catering services between the two stations i.e. ₹308. For the Executive Chair Car, it is Rs 2485 which includes Rs 369 as a catering charge.