Revenue of Mysuru-Chennai, Chennai-Mysuru routes stand at Rs. 10.21 crore between Nov. 12-Dec. 29, 2022
Mysuru: The regular service of the flagship Vande Bharat Express between Chennai and Mysuru via Bengaluru began on Nov. 12, 2022 after Prime minister Narendra Modi flagged off the train from Bengaluru on Nov. 11, 2022.
From Nov. 12 to Dec. 29, Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat train (20607) earned a revenue Rs. 5.30 crore while Mysuru-Chennai Vande Bharat train (20608) earned a revenue of Rs. 4.91 crore. The percentage of occupancy rate between Chennai Central Station and Mysuru in Nov. is just 10 percent. As per the data obtained by the Railways, there are a total of 18,048 seats available on the route of which only 1,886 were occupied in the month of November last year.
There has been a marginal increase in the occupancy rate in December last year with the occupancy rate touching 17 percent on the route. Of the total 30,456 seats on the route, 5,084 seats were occupied in the last month of the year.
Mysuru-Chennai route
On the Mysuru-Chennai route, in November last year, of the 18,048 seats available on the route, 2,309 seats were occupied totalling an occupancy rate of 13 percent. Here too, there is a marginal increase in December where out of 30,456 seats, 6,173 seats were occupied totalling an occupancy rate of 20 percent.
This train is India’s first semi high speed train equipped with world-class passenger amenities. Speed, safety and service are the hallmarks of this train manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai.
Mysuru-Bengaluru sector
Compared to Mysuru-Chennai sector, the occupancy rate of the Express train on the Mysuru-Bengaluru sector is encouraging. Data shows that in November last year, of the 18,048 seats available on the route, 9,592 seats were occupied from Bengaluru to Mysuru, indicating an occupancy rate of 53 percent.
In December last year, the occupancy rate on the Bengaluru to Mysuru route stood at 63 percent with 19,069 seats occupied out of the total 30,456 available seats.
On the Mysuru-Bengaluru route in November last year, of the total 18,048 seats available, 6,099 seats were occupied clocking an occupancy rate of 34 percent. During December last year, on the Mysuru-Bengaluru route, of the 30,456 available seats, 12,982 were occupied totalling an occupancy rate of 43 percent.
Chennai-Bengaluru route
On the Chennai-Bengaluru route, in November last year, of the 18,048 seats available, 13,199 seats were occupied clocking an occupancy rate of 73 percent. In December, the occupancy rate on the same route stood at 86 percent with 26,140 seats occupied of the total available 30,456 seats.
On the Bengaluru-Chennai route, in November, of the 18,048 seats available, 13,044 seats were occupied clocking an occupancy rate of 72 percent. In December last year, of the total available 30,456 seats, 25,550 seats were occupied, achieving an occupancy rate of 84 percent.
Class-wise occupancy
The Vande Bharat Express offers two spacious compartments to its passengers — AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car. While all seats are recliners, passengers travelling in the Executive Chair Car will experience the added feature of 180-degree rotating seats.
On the Chennai-Mysuru route, in November last year, 74 percent of Chair Car were occupied in November last year and 88 percent of the Executive Chair Car were occupied. In December, 83 percent of the Chair Car and 91 percent of the Executive Chair Car were occupied.
On the Mysuru-Chennai route, in November, 63 percent of Chair Car were occupied while 80 percent of the Executive Chair Car were occupied. In December, 70 percent of the Chair Car and 84 percent of the Executive Chair Car were occupied.
Rush soon after inauguration
However, soon after the train was inaugurated by the PM, the occupancy rate was very high for the first 10 days. In fact, it attracted more passengers than the Shatabdi Express that too connects Mysuru and Chennai,
As per the data, the Executive Chair Car coaches Nov. 12 to Nov. 22 between Mysuru and Chennai was 125 percent. It was 97 percent in the AC Chair Car. In the same period, the occupancy on Shatabdi Express was 75 percent and 98 percent respectively. The occupancy rate is the percentage of reservations. More than 100 percent means tickets have entered the waiting list.
On the Chennai-Mysuru route during the same dates, Vande Bharat recorded 147 percent occupancy of Executive Chair Car and 115 percent AC Chair Car occupancy. In Shatabdi, the occupancy was 64 percent and 85 percent respectively in the Shatabdi Express.
Vande Bharat should start from Chennai at 5:30am and reach Mysuru for Lunch time , while Shatabdi should start from Mysuru at 5:00am and reach Chennai at around lunch time so that tourists can check in to their hotels as hotels have a 12 noon check in. Similarly in return direction Vande Bharat should leave Mysuru around 2pm , while Shatabdi should leave Chennai at 3 pm so that guests could checkout from hotel at 12 noon and reach station by 1pm. SWR should always plan train timings to tourist destination keeping in mind the hotel check in / check out timings for better patronage by tourists. This might improve Occupancy in both the trains.
Fully agree with the observation of Mr Sanjay Kini. But will railways agreee and revise to the readers and travellers suggestions? Unfortunately the babus in railway ministry are all from North, they care damn on what is going on in Karnataka or Tamil nadu. Railway ministers come and go, but the Bhiari babus stay put in Rail ministry.
Hey @Kini and @Prasanna
This express came into operation to help the passengers bound for Bangalore from Chennai, and those returning from Bangalore to Chennai.
Both of you are arguing without understanding the demographic spread in Bangalore- a large swath of Bangalore sounds and feels like part of Chennai, in those areas Kannada is hardly spoken.
Narendra Modi, very much wants BJP Loka Sabha MPs from Tamil Nadu. His finance minister, Mrs Sitharaman, a Tamilian, is a Rajya Sabha Member, from Karnataka, a state she rarely visited before she was first elected to Rajya Sabha, thanks to the BJP government. She hardly speaks a few words of Kannada! Modi has to ;pick her to give representation to Tamil Nadu in his government, hoping that would help his BJP Loka Sabha prospects there. Mrs Sitharaman is scared of visiting Tamil Nadu, with its DMK government or even when AIADMK was in power.
With the newest Mahabalipuram extension adjoining Chennai, growing fast with IT establishments, sharing the IT outsourced work from large Western companies with Bangalore, this express with its timings and schedules favouring Chennai and Bangalore starts and finishing makes sense.
Who cares about Mysore anyway?