Ernakulam-Bengaluru Vande Bharat launched; 1st semi-high-speed train between Kerala, TN, Karnataka
Ernakulam (PTI): The Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat, one of the four trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Saturday, is the first inter-state semi-high-speed premium train service linking Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Southern Railways said.
Since it links three states, the train will boost business and tourism, officials said.
The eight-coach train traverses major cities of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Thrissur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, before reaching Krishnarajapuram and KSR Bengaluru. It is the third Vande Bharat train that originates from Kerala.
"KSR Bengaluru-Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express will provide seamless connectivity between Ernakulam, the commercial capital of Kerala and the cosmopolitan city of Bengaluru," a press note from Southern Railway said.
"The existing two Vande Bharat services, between Kasaragod and Thiruvananthapuram (via Kottayam), and Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru Central (via Alappuzha) intertwine the southern and northern ends of Kerala and beyond," it said.
An intercity train service that runs between Ernakulam and Bengaluru takes over 11 hours to cover the 583-km distance. However, the new Vande Bharat train will complete this journey in 8 hours and 40 minutes, officials said.
The train's regular service will start from November 9, 2025, when it will depart from Bengaluru at 5:10 am to arrive at Ernakulam at 1:50 pm. On its return journey, the train depart from Ernakulam at 2:20 pm and arrive at Bengaluru at 11 pm. It will operate six days a week except Wednesday.
Highlighting its benefits, Southern Railway said that it would provide fastest connectivity between Ernakulam and Bengaluru which is a high traffic demand corridor.
"It is the first Vande Bharat service to Palakkad, the Gateway of Kerala. Since it links three states - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, it is going to boost business, education, tourism, pilgrimage and healthcare travel," officials said.
"The Vande Bharat trains offer comfortable, safe, and premium onboard experience with modern amenities like GPS - based infotainment, bio-vacuum toilets, ergonomic seating, automatic doors, reading lights and Wi-Fi," they added.
According to the Railway Ministry, with over 164 such trains criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country, the Vande Bharat trains are bridging economic, social and cultural barriers.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
