Kochi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Ernakulam Junction–KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express on Saturday, railway officials said.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the train (06652) online during a function scheduled at 7 am, officials said.

The BJP announced that Kerala Governor Rajendra Viswanath Arlekar, Union Ministers Suresh Gopi and George Kurian, and BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar will attend the function at the Ernakulam Junction Railway Station.

According to a press release issued by Southern Railway, the newly introduced Ernakulam–KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will be the third Vande Bharat service for Kerala, linking the state with Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

With this addition, a total of 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains will operate under the Southern Railway jurisdiction, it said.

“The KSR Bengaluru–Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express will provide seamless connectivity between Ernakulam, the commercial capital of Kerala, and the cosmopolitan city of Bengaluru. The train traverses major cities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, and Salem, before reaching Krishnarajapuram and KSR Bengaluru,” the release said.

According to the Railways, the new service will benefit IT professionals, businessmen, and students, among others.

The flag-off ceremony will also be live-streamed at Thrissur and Palakkad railway stations.

The train (06652) Ernakulam Junction–KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will operate as a special service with eight coaches, officials added.