The second trial run of the 16-coach Vande Bharat Express between Yeshvantpur and Mangaluru Junction was successfully completed on Thursday. However, the train reportedly passed through Kabaka-Puttur station without stopping, despite the station being listed as a halt on its temporary schedule. The development left railway activists and passengers who had gathered at the station disappointed and raised questions over whether the proposed halt will be retained in the final schedule.
The train departed from Yeshvantpur at 6:50 am and reached Mangaluru Junction at 1:55 pm, completing the journey in around seven hours and five minutes. Unlike the first trial run, which operated all the way to Mangaluru Central, the second trial was conducted only up to Mangaluru Junction.
On its return journey, the Vande Bharat departed from Mangaluru Junction at around 2:25 pm and crossed Kabaka-Puttur station at approximately 3:17 pm.
Later in the evening, the train reached Sakleshpur at around 6 pm and departed at 6:14 pm. It then arrived at Hassan at 6:49 pm and left for Yeshvantpur at 6:54 pm.
Railway sources have clarified that the timings and halts during a trial run are not final. Such trial runs are conducted to assess the train’s timings, technical performance and other operational aspects. Railway sources also pointed out that the first Vande Bharat Express trial run operated from Bengaluru to Mangaluru Central.
The Vande Bharat passed through Platform 1 at Kabaka-Puttur station but did not stop for the scheduled two-minute halt. Railway activists and passengers who had gathered at the station to welcome the train were left disappointed.
The train also skipped the halt on its return journey from Mangaluru Junction to Yeshvantpur. The reason for the Vande Bharat not stopping at Kabaka-Puttur, despite the halt being included in the temporary schedule, remains unclear.
Railway activists, local groups, and current and former politicians had previously lobbied for the station to be included as a halt. They had approached the Railway Minister and senior officials seeking a stop for the Vande Bharat Express.
Following these efforts, a halt at Kabaka-Puttur was included in the schedule for the second trial run. However, the train’s failure to stop during the trial has now raised concerns among local stakeholders.
Railway organisations have alleged that the development reflects negligence on the part of the Railway department. They have claimed that including the halt only on paper, without the train actually stopping, amounts to disregarding the demands of passengers and local communities.
With the final timetable and stoppages yet to be confirmed, passengers and railway activists are now awaiting clarity on whether Kabaka-Puttur will receive a regular halt when the Vande Bharat Express begins commercial operations.
