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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Oracle lays off around 12,000 employees in India, another round likely within a month
New Delhi (PTI): US-based IT firm Oracle is believed to have laid off approximately 12,000 staff in India, with another round of layoffs expected within a month, impacted employees said on Tuesday.
Globally, the company has fired around 30,000 employees.
"In India, around 12,000 employees have been laid off. The company is planning another mass layoff within a month," said two people impacted by the retrenchment, including one from the company's human resource department.
The company has approximately 30,000 employees in India, including those affected by the layoffs.
Oracle declined to comment on the development.
Oracle, in an email sent to staff, said the employees were informed about certain organisational changes and "because of these changes, a decision has been taken to streamline the operations, and as a result, unfortunately, the position you currently hold will become redundant".
The company has offered 15 days' salary to each employee who has completed a year of service in India, in addition to one month of unpaid wages till termination date, leave encashment, gratuity based on eligibility and pay for a one-month notice period.
Oracle has also offered a two-month salary as a top-up.
However, the severance package is available for those who voluntarily and amicably resign from the company.
An ex-employee of Oracle, Merugu Sridhar, said that he was laid off in September for protesting against the 16-hour work shift that the company has in India.
"I contacted my friends and those who are in human resources. They shared that most of the Indians working in the US with the company have been impacted because the local laws there are very strict when it comes to the retrenchment of their citizens," Sridhar said.
