All tickets for the first day of regular run of Vande Bharat Express between Coimbatore and Chennai Central on April 9 were booked within three hours of the start of the process, on Friday.
The fares have been fixed at ₹2,310 for Executive Chair Car (56 seats) and ₹1,215 for Chair Car (450 seats).
The pace of booking has been overwhelming for the next five days as well for the service, which is to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
The decision of the Railway Board to reduce the running duration by 20 minutes - from six hours and 10 minutes planned earlier to five hours and fifty minutes - has been well-received by the travelling public, according to former member of DRUCC (Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee) and Director of Kongu Global Forum J. Satish.
During the trial-run, the train covered the 495-km distance in five hours and 30 minutes. The new train will be operated at a speed of 130 km per hour in the Chennai-Jolarpet section, resulting in reduction in travelling time by one hour and 20 minutes vis-a-vis Shatabdi timings on the same route, according to a press release issued by the Southern Railway.
The authorisation for the speed increase to 130 km per hour in the Chennai-Arakonam (part of Chennai-Renigunta) section and Arakonam-Jolarpettai sections was issued on March 29 and March 31 respectively, the press release said.
The train will have two-minute stoppages in Tiruppur and Salem, and three-minute stoppage at Erode in both directions.
Train no. 20644 Coimbatore-Chennai service will depart at 6 a.m., and reach Tiruppur at 6.35 a.m., Erode at 7.12 a.m., Salem at 7.58 a.m., and Chennai Central at 11.50 a.m.
In the return direction, the Chennai Central - Coimbatore service (No. 20643) will depart at 2.25 p.m., and reach Salem at 5.48 p.m., Erode at 6.32 p.m., Tiruppur at 7.13 p.m., and Coimbatore at 8.15 p.m. The trains will run six days a week, except on Wednesdays.
The primary maintenance of the train with rake of eight coaches will be at Coimbatore.
