en.Wedoany.com Reported - Southern Railway plans to increase the rake size of the Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express from 8 to 16 coaches ahead of the Onam festival season. The decision to augment the train is driven by ticketing patterns on key dates in August, aimed at addressing short-term demand surges.

After augmentation, the train's seating capacity will increase from 530 to 1,128 seats, adding 598 seats per trip, aiming to ease waitlist pressure during peak periods. The train operates six days a week, and with the expansion, it can carry an additional 6,768 passengers per week in one direction. Railway sources said the upgraded train is expected to be operational by the first week of July, about seven months after its launch in November last year. The decision to augment is based on consistently high occupancy, advance bookings for festival dates, and ticketing patterns on key dates in August. During the festival season and long weekends, the train's occupancy has reached 120% to 140%, reflecting concentrated travel demand between Bengaluru and Kerala.

Railway planners stated that adding coaches will ease peak festival season passenger flow and enhance passenger comfort without altering the running time. This move aims to ensure a more balanced distribution of passengers across available services, reducing reliance on waitlisted tickets during seasonal travel. The Vande Bharat Express covers the 630 km distance between Bengaluru and Ernakulam in 8 hours and 40 minutes, with stops at nine stations. After assessing the impact of the augmentation, the railway department may further adjust coach configurations or service frequency based on actual demand patterns and logistical considerations.