The northern and southern parts of Kerala are now seamlessly connected by two Vande Bharat trains. The first train links nine districts out of the 14 in the state, including Kannur, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, Kottayam, and Kollam.
On the other hand, the second Vande Bharat train, painted in orange, and runs the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram route. Within the Southern Railway zone, this route sees exceptional demand, with an occupancy rate of 200 per cent, nearly double that of most Vande Bharat trains in the country. Unlike its counterpart, this train will pass through Alappuzha instead of Kottayam.
Known for its semi-high-speed capability of 160 kmph, the Vande Bharat Express offers an all-air-conditioned chair car service.
The one-way trip along the route covers a distance of 573 kilometres.
The journey from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram takes approximately 7 hours and 55 minutes, while the return journey from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasargod takes about 8 hours and 5 minutes.
The average speed for the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram service stands at 72.39 kmph, while for the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod service, it is 70.90 kmph.
Regular operation of the Vande Bharat Express (train no. 20631) from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram Central departs from Kasaragod at 7:00 am daily, except on Tuesdays, the train is expected to reach Thiruvananthapuram Central by 3:05 pm on the same day.
For travelling from Kasargod to Thiruvananthapuram in a Chair car, the ticket price is INR 1555, inclusive of an optional INR 364 catering charge. Opting for an Executive Chair Car will cost INR 2835, which includes an optional catering charge of INR 419. Conversely, the fare for the journey from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in an AC chair car is INR 1515, encompassing an optional INR 323 catering charge. Alternatively, for an Executive Chair Car, the fare amounts to INR 2800, with the option of an additional INR 384 catering charge during ticket booking.