Newly launched Bengaluru-Ernakulam VB express to cut travel time by 2 hours; Full schedule here
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Bengaluru: Malayalees in Bengaluru can now reach their hometowns faster and conveniently, thanks to the newly launched Vande Bharat Express connecting the Silicon City to Ernakulam, which cuts travel time by around 2 hours.
The service will enhance connectivity between major IT, commercial, and educational hubs in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
The service was flagged off earlier in the day by Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside, Banaras–Khajuraho, Lucknow–Saharanpur, and Firozpur–Delhi trains.
The high speed train will only take 9 hours, from the other regular service that take more than 11-12 hours of journey.
The newly introduced KSR Bengaluru–Ernakulam Vande Bharat Express is the first inter-state Vande Bharat train for Kerala, linking the state directly with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. With this addition, the Southern Railway zone will now operate 12 pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains.
Train number 26651 will depart from KSR Bengaluru City Junction at 5:10 AM and reach Ernakulam Junction at 1:50 PM, covering a distance of approximately 550 km with seven scheduled halts.
The return service, 26652 Ernakulam–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, departs from Ernakulam at 2:20 PM and arrives in Bengaluru at 11:00 PM.
The train will halt at 7 stations, which are as follows:
KSR Bengaluru City Jn: Departure – 05:10 AM
Krishnarajapuram: 05:25 AM
Salem Jn: 08:15 AM
Erode Jn: 09:05 AM
Tiruppur: 09:47 AM
Coimbatore Jn: 10:35 AM
Palakkad Jn: 11:30 AM
Thrissur: 12:30 PM
Ernakulam Jn: Arrival – 01:50 PM
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Health Department launches leprosy awareness campaign in Dakshina Kannada, district reports 47 cases
Mangaluru: The Health Department launched on Friday the Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign, to promote early detection and treatment to the disease and also to educate people in the district about leprosy.
The campaign, which is a nationwide initiative, will continue till February 13.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, District Health Officer Dr. HR Thimmaiah has said that 47 cases of leprosy were reported in Dakshina Kannada till December in 2025-26.
He has stressed on the need for early detection and treatment of the disease as it would prevent complications prior to detection. He also stressed on creating awareness, increasing community participation in cases of early detection. “People should not neglect white or brown patches without sensation on their skin,” the DHO advised.
Dr. Thimmaiah added that people diagnosed positive would be treated with free Leprosy Multidrug Therapy (MDT). “The government also provides Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation (DPMR), splints, self-care kits, multicellular rubber footwear, and reconstructive surgery to patients. People can log on to sanjeevani.opd or esanjeevani.in for free teleconsultation if they come across any symptoms of the disease,” he added.
Referring to social stigma attached to leprosy, the DHO called it a challenge and said that the Department had planned awareness programmes in rural areas in collaboration with gram panchayats to ensure that there is no discrimination of patients. “ASHA workers and staff from other departments will be trained to create awareness among the people to overcome social stigma. A door-to-door campaign will be conducted. In addition, officials will visit educational institutions to create awareness among students,” he said.
Speaking about the leprosy cases in Dakshina Kannada, Dr. Thimmaiah said that the 47 cases were reported between April and December, with 42 being diagnosed as multibacillary (MB) leprosy and five as paucibacillary leprosy. One child too has been detected with leprosy during the year, he added.
He said that the district reported 29 cases in 2020-21, 39 in 2021-22, 75 in 2022-23, 62 in 2023-24, and 43 in 2024-25. The number of cases was higher in 2022-23 as patients were not able to visit hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic in the previous years, the DHO informed.
