[vigsom]

Introduction

The Vande Bharat Express has been reviewed a lot via these threads and many other user experiences.

1. Train18 (Vande Bharat Express (Train 18) - Made-In-India Engineless Train)
2. Orange vs White Vande Bharat (Train Review: Orange Vs White Vande Bharat Express | What's Changed?)
3. Mysuru-Chennai Vande Bharat (Train Review: Executive Class on Mysuru - Chennai Vande Bharat Express)
4. Ahmedabad Mumbai Vande Bharat (20902 Vande Bharat Express Train | My Experience)
5. Vande Bharat without banker locos (Vande Bharat Electric Train to scale mountain roads without help from banker locomotives)

Since all about Vande Bharat Express trains has been covered via the above and many other threads, these posts are to highlight why the Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express is a huge relief for many passengers and

1. showcase some sights enroute on board this train
2. highlight some points for improvement
3. help users of this train on what to expect on arrival at Bengaluru Cantt.

[vigsom]

Why the Madurai - Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express is a relief for many passengers?

For long, the solitary daily train for passengers travelling from Bengaluru to Trichy was the Mysuru - Cuddalore Port Jn Express. This used to be an evening service, reaching Trichy in absolute wee hours. More than the timings, availability of tickets was a huge challenge, especially in AC classes. There was the Sriganganagar - Trichy weekly Humsafar Exp but getting to Banaswadi Station was a pain for many, especially elders. As alternatives, one would either have to drive down (6.5 hours ball park) or look from among the few bus operators (of which KSRTC operates services only in the night, Nuego being slow thanks to their long and unpredictable charging halt, and the only good operator Renganathan Travels operating an afternoon service). Many folks prefer trains over buses, and that is how a new train was badly needed

The Vande Bharat Express was introduced sometime in late 2024 and has proved a relief to many passengers on the Salem, Namakkal and Trichy sectors. However, relief for many comes with murmurs from another section, who crib about this train doing approx 100km extra because of the route via Trichy. Patronage has still not reached target levels and that is why the train still oeprates with just eight cars.

Likes

1. Trichy to Bengaluru Cantt., a 420km distance in under 6 hours in supreme comfort
2. Extremely neat set up with on-board catering
3. Some pleasing sights enroute, especially Trichy-Karur and Salem - Tirupattur
4. For those boarding this train at Bengaluru and who have opted for food, I think a meal is served immediately after departure, and for passengers headed to Madurai, dinner is also served after Tiruchirapalli

What needs improvement

1. On-board catering, especially beverages, snacks are all sugar loaded; I did see that there were "Diabetic" options when opting for food while booking, but not sure of how diabetic friendly these are
2. Lobby in each coach is littered with crates, packs, garbage bags - there is enough space to manage these well, but old habits die hard!
3. Newspapers and a bottle of water are costs billed to a passenger even if the No Food option is selected; however, only 500ml of water is given - small money but calling this out
4. Difficult experience on arriving at Bengaluru Cantonment (not related to the train per se)

[vigsom]

The ride in pictures

Super clean Tiruchirapalli Jn. Just one sore point - multi-colour (red, pink and purple) coach indicators. I wish a bright unicolor (white or light green) had been chosen


Expansion bellow on the water line - good engineering


Beautiful green between Trichy and Karur




Platform at Namakkal - being spruced up


A new convenience in Vande Bharat Expresses - the sensor (the strip kind of thing) overhead detects someone standing and the door opens


A sight for everyone to see - Vande Bharat Express was stopped at a station until an EMU rolled in; experienced this again on another journey on the same train from Bengaluru to Trichy when Vande Bharat Express stopped and gave way to another express train

https://youtube.com/watch?v=veEIwtswTK8

[vigsom]

Arrival at Bengaluru

This train terminates at Bengaluru Cantonment, where five "Terminus" platforms 1A to 1E have been created with future plans. Currently 1B serves as the arrival platform for the Coimbatore Bengaluru Vande Bharat Exp while 1C serves the Madurai Vande Bharat Exp. The current pain point is moving from the platform to the main road. Those wanting to be picked up either by personal cars or by the aggregator cabs or autorickshaws - board on the side of the main road just opposite the Water Tank - game on!

After alighting


New Terminus platforms at Bengaluru Cantonment


Walk towards the exit, turn left at the building under construction


Panoramic view of the five new terminus platforms


Exit


Exit - watch out for jutting steel bars


Keep moving


Keep moving


Finally there - traffic traffic traffic, people waiting for their cars and autos. I pity the cops who have to manage passengers, vehicles coming in to drop/pick up and maintain the flow of traffic. Note the water tank for reference




Closing Comments

1. This train is an excellent day service option for passengers bound to/fro Salem, Namakkal, Trichy and even Madurai.
2. Please factor in an additional 20-25 mins to travel to Bengaluru Cantonment to board trains from the terminus; you've seen the traffic in pics, and it moves at snail's pace.
3. If travelling with just one bag, I'd recommend taking a metro to KR Puram and boarding the train from there.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[arun_josie]

I had taken this Vande Bharat two weeks back from Bangalore to Madurai.

I think this is slower than the Bangalore - Chennai VB as I didn't see this going beyond 110 unlike the Chennai VB which hits 130+.

As mentioned by you, they serve lunch, evening snack and dinner. But I didn't like the food, too many packed snacks and sugary items

Due to the longer route, it takes 8hrs to Madurai. Took me 1.5hrs for me from my home in bangalore to the railway station. So, 10hrs in total for the journey making it slower than a road trip.

Madurai railway station is very congested due to some renovation work.

Originally Posted by vigsom

3. Newspapers and a bottle of water are costs billed to a passenger even if the No Food option is selected; however, only 500ml of water is given - small money but calling this out

They gave two water bottles. One at the start and one after crossing Trichy.

[mHawk_UTKRISHT]

While the rest of the train looks neat, the overhead luggage storage looks a little compromising. They should have given it a closet (like we see in aeroplanes) or a raised end to prevent shoulderbags (when kept standing) from falling.

I don't know if it is just me, but from the pictures it looks a little risky.

Originally Posted by vigsom

Why the Madurai - Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express is a relief for many passengers?

Is it really more efficient than rest of the trains out there though?

The trains from Madurai Junction to Bangalore Cantt are taking an average of 9h30m, costing ₹290.
While Vande Bharat takes an average of 7h45m, costing ₹1,211. [Picture attached below]

While I do believe Time is Money, is this difference really value?
Are Vande Bharat largely superior over the other trains?

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

I think this is slower than the Bangalore - Chennai VB as I didn't see this going beyond 110 unlike the Chennai VB which hits 130+.

Definitely slower than the Chennai Vande Bharat Exp. which blazes away from Jolarpettai to Chennai. However I had this observation on the Madurai - BNC Vande Bharat Exp. on both my rides, coincidentally in the same coach.The train was definitely doing higher speeds on the Salem - Tirupattur section but the speed displayed was 110kmph. On the section from Jolarpettai bypass to KR Puram, the train was doing lower speeds and the speed displayed was 110kmph.

Due to the longer route, it takes 8hrs to Madurai; slower than a road trip.

Until the following are done, this Vande Bharat Exp can't match arun_josie's travel time.

1. Upping speeds on Bengaluru - Tirupattur section to 130kmph
2. Upping speeds on Salem - Trichy to 130kmph and doubling of tracks
3. Faster travel times between various parts of BLR to the respective railway stations

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by vigsom

On-board catering, especially beverages, snacks are all sugar loaded; I did see that there were "Diabetic" options when opting for food while booking, but not sure of how diabetic friendly these are

This is one thing I have noticed across VB's. I'll admit, my reference point are the millions of Tube videos. For what is supposedly a "premium" train, the food isn't any different to what you get served from a Pantry on a regular express train, the Shatabdi or even the Rajdhani. I also get that its easier to bring food in a packet and get done with it. Corn flakes is what I got served on the Trivandrum Chennai AC special some years ago. I see the same on VB's!

I am not asking for a 5 course meal. All I am asking for is fresh food. Not a meal that I need to take out from 5 different packets.

We are likely the largest consumer of Tea in the world. In the VB, you need to make the Tea yourself. Where on earth is that vendor coming and serving Tea! So much less waste throwing out hundreds of packets. Now I get that with the vendor coming around with Tea, his or her callouts maybe unlimited. As a customer on the Premium Train, you need to cater to that demand.

Thanks for sharing. I like that we're finally seeing some proper fast rail travel in almost every corner of our country with these VB's rakes.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by vigsom

The ride in pictures

Super clean Tiruchirapalli Jn. Just one sore point - multi-colour (red, pink and purple) coach indicators. I wish a bright unicolor (white or light green) had been chosen
Attachment 2723870

Could not help but comment here. At least we have correct coach indicators and the right coach number stops at the right sign! In 2022 I had the misfortune of taking not one but 5 train journeys in the UK. 4 of these were in coach or economy or normal class whatever they call it. And in all 4 situations the order of the coaches was not in line with the coach number sign on the platform. So the order went something like 11, 5, 8, 2, 4, 10....and so on and no one in uniform there knew where which coach will arrive and the train in two cases stopped only for 3 minutes! And we had our bags. It was a mess. And unlike India where even the tea vendor can tell you where a coach will usually stop there even the railway staff shrugged their shoulders -'bad luck mate who told you to come here travelling'. @Vigsom, I am waiting for a fast Vande Bharat on the Delhi-Mumbai-Delhi route - 11 hour sleeper run would be ideal. I'd stop Indigo airlines in a heart beat.

[1.2GT3GT]

Originally Posted by vigsom

Expansion bellow on the water line - good engineering
Attachment 2723871

@vigsom, thanks to you, I got to know about expansion bellows and the flexibility and adaptability that they bring to such installations in varying ambient conditions. You learn something new everyday!

[ajvee44]

Originally Posted by 1.2GT3GT

@vigsom, thanks to you, I got to know about expansion bellows and the flexibility and adaptability that they bring to such installations in varying ambient conditions. You learn something new everyday!

Thanks for your message, bud. I am too new to message you, so perhaps the moderators can help us on how to correspond

[1.2GT3GT]

Originally Posted by ajvee44

Thanks for your message, bud. I am too new to message you, so perhaps the moderators can help us on how to correspond

Thank you for the acknowledgement. I’ve messaged you my contact information if that helps.