Bengaluru Ernakulam Vande Bharat To Double Capacity

03 Jul 2026 CW Team

Southern Railway will increase the Bengaluru Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express (Vande Bharat) from eight to 16 coaches ahead of the Onam travel season, adding 598 seats per trip to meet rising demand between Karnataka and Kerala. The upgraded rake is expected to be introduced in the first week of July, nearly seven months after the train was launched last November, railway sources said. The decision follows sustained high occupancy and advanced bookings for festival dates.

With the augmentation, seating capacity will rise from 530 to 1,128, enabling 598 more passengers to travel on each trip and reducing pressure on waitlists during peak periods. As the service operates six days a week, the expanded configuration will carry an additional 6,768 passengers in one direction every week, according to railway authorities. Ticketing patterns for key dates in August prompted the enhancement to address short term surges in demand.

The service has recorded occupancy levels of 120-140 per cent during festival seasons and long weekends, reflecting concentrated travel flows between Bengaluru and Kerala. Railway planners indicated that the extra coaches will substantially ease the festive season rush and improve passenger comfort without altering journey timings. The move is aimed at ensuring better distribution of passengers across available services and reducing dependence on waitlisted tickets for seasonal travellers.

The Vande Bharat covers the 630-km journey between Bengaluru and Ernakulam in eight hours and 40 minutes, stopping at nine stations en route. The enhanced rake is scheduled to enter service in early July and authorities will monitor patronage and operational performance thereafter. Any further adjustments to coach composition or service frequency will be guided by observed demand patterns and logistical considerations as the railway evaluates outcomes of the augmentation.

Infrastructure Urban

24 Jul 2026

Nuvoco Forecasts Rs 130 bn FY27 Revenue

Nuvoco Vistas Corp expects FY27 revenue to top Rs 130 billion (bn) as cement volumes gather pace, the company announced. The figure equates to Rs 130 bn after conversion from crore denominated targets and reflects management guidance for the next financial year. The chief executive outlined that prior constraints had limited volume growth but that recovery in demand during June and July had helped performance. The company expects costs to rise by Rs 100 to 120 per tonne (t) in the ongoing second quarter owing to monsoon related kiln maintenance shutdowns, higher fixed costs, and normal inflati..

India Core Infrastructure Output Rises Five Per Cent in June

India's core infrastructure sectors recorded growth of five per cent in June, marking a five-month high and signalling an upward trend in industrial activity. The expansion was propelled by strong performances in cement, electricity and the newly included iron ore, reflecting broader resilience across key inputs to construction and power supply. The readings point to strengthening domestic demand in construction and power generation. Production of cement and electricity each rose nine point eight per cent in the month, while iron ore output, included in the index under the new series, jumped 4..

Telangana Thermal Plants Hold Limited Coal Stock

The government told the Rajya Sabha that coal-fired power plants across India held 42.8 million (mn) tonnes (t) of coal as of July 12, enough for 14 days of generation at an 85 per cent plant load factor (PLF). The reply said coal supplies were being monitored daily through a joint mechanism and that coal rakes were being given priority to support uninterrupted thermal generation during peak demand. Officials indicated that daily data on stock levels and rake movements was reviewed to manage dispatches and avoid generation shortfalls. The Central Electricity Authority daily fuel report for Jul..