Lok Sabha Question No. 315 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-27
Subject: Abrupt Stoppage of Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Train
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Adv Dean Kuriakose

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 315 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.11.2024

ABRUPT STOPPAGE OF ERNAKULAM-BENGALURU VANDE BHARAT TRAIN

315 ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  stopped  Ernakulam-Bengaluru  Vande Bharat recently;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  there  was  any  specific  reason  for  the  abrupt  stoppage  of  the train;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  re-instate  the  Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat at the earliest; and
- (e) whether any proposal is under consideration for sanctioning new Vande Bharat Trains to the State of Kerala in the current financial year, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (e)  A Statement is laid on the table of the House.

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STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 315 BY SHRI ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 27.11.2024 REGARDING ABRUPT STOPPAGE OF ERNAKULAM-BENGALURU VANDE BHARAT TRAIN

(a)  to  (e)  Government  has  NOT  stopped  Ernakulam  -  Bengaluru  Vande Bharat. The impression might have arisen due to the fact that 06001/06002 Ernakulam- Bengaluru Cantt. Special train service was operated by utilizing the spare Vande Bharat rake during the period 31.07.2024 to 26.08.2024 to clear  extra  passenger  traffic.  This  train  was  in  addition  to  the  9  pairs  of regular train services, catering the sector.

Presently,  2  pairs  of  Vande  Bharat  Express  are  catering  to  the  needs  of stations  located  in  the  State  of  Kerala.  Further,  as  the  Railway  network straddles  across  State  boundaries,  trains  are  introduced  as  per  network requirement across such boundaries. Besides, introduction of train services including Vande Bharat services is an ongoing process on Indian Railways subject  to  traffic  justification,  operational  feasibility,  resource  availability, etc.

Further, to increase capacity of existing rail network, several infrastructure projects  falling  fully/partly  in  the  State  of  Kerala  have  been  taken  up  by Indian  Railways.  As  on  01.04.2024,  08  projects  (02  New  Lines  and  06 Doubling projects) of  419 km  length, costing ₹ 12,350 crore are in planning/approval/construction  stages  and  the  expenditure  of  ₹3,046  crore has been incurred upto March 2024.

Since 2014, there has been substantial increase in the fund allocation and commensurate commissioning of projects in the State of Kerala as under:-

| Period   | Average Outlay   | Increase w.r.t Average Allocation of 2009-14   |
|----------|------------------|------------------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | ₹372 crore/year  | -                                              |
| 2024-25  | ₹3,011 crore     | Around 8 times                                 |

Railways acquires the land through State Government. The State Government assesses the compensation amount and advises Railways. On receipt of demand from the State Government, Railways deposits compensation amount with the concerned District Land Acquisition Authority.  However,  execution  of  important  infrastructure  projects  falling fully/partly in the State of Kerala is held up due to delay in land acquisition as tabulated below:

| Total Land required for Projects in Kerala   | 475 Ha       |
|----------------------------------------------|--------------|
| Land Acquired                                | 64 Ha (13%)  |
| Balance Land to be acquired                  | 411 Ha (87%) |

Railway has already paid ₹2112 crore to the Government of Kerala for land acquisition.  Support  from  the  Government  of  Kerala  is  needed  to  expedite the land acquisition.

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