Mangaluru: A 16-car Vande Bharat Express between Yeshwanthpur and Mangaluru began a full-route trial Saturday, with South Western Railway (SWR) officials assessing its running time, sectional timings, speed and other operational aspects along the route.Electrification on the route was completed on Dec 28 last year.The trial began from Yeshwanthpur Junction at 6.05am. The train passed through Hassan, Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road before reaching Mangaluru Central at 4.30pm.An official from the SWR Mysuru Division told TOI that the exercise was primarily aimed at assessing the time required to operate the service across the entire route, including the ghat section. The timings recorded during the trial will help railway authorities prepare a realistic timetable for the proposed service, he said.Officials are also assessing speed and sectional timings in view of existing restrictions, particularly on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section, which has several curves, gradients and other geographical challenges.The trial follows earlier exercises conducted by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), including automatic emergency brake (AEB), full-weight and ghat-section trials in Aug. These were conducted mainly to assess the train’s performance and response while operating through the challenging ghat stretch, the official said.While the final stoppages for the proposed service are yet to be decided, the stations identified for the trial are being considered for the timing assessment, he said.Officials from traction operations (TRO), traction distribution (TRD), engineering and mechanical departments, among others, are monitoring the trial.The official said the trial report will subsequently be submitted to the Railway Board. Once the board approves the proposal, a local timetable for the Vande Bharat service will be prepared. A final decision on when the service would be started rests with the ministry of railways, the official said.
