Bengaluru : Much awaited  the trial run of the 5th rake of Vande Bharat Express was successfully conducted  between  Dr MGR Chennai Central to Mysuru via Bengaluru on Monday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi   is slated to flag off the Chennai-Mysore Vande Bharat Express, India’s fifth Vande Bharat train, on Friday, November 11. The train is first such indigenously-built high-speed rail in the southern part of India. The high-speed train will be having a single stop at Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KRS) Station in Bengaluru.

The trial run was conducted for familiarising the train operating crew with the working of the train set, route, signals and other safety parameters like level crossing gates and block working, Southern Railways Public Relations Officer Om Prakash said in a statement here.

The trial run also was held to acquaint the onboard coach maintenance crew about the train interiors and various technical features of the train, he added.

The trial train departed from Dr MGR Chennai Central at 05.50 am and reached Mysuru at 12.30 pm with stoppages at Katpadi and Bengaluru, Prakash said. 

In the return direction , the trial train departed from Mysuru junction at 13.05 pm and will reach Dr MGR Chennai Central at 7.35 pm, he said. The Chennai-Mysore Vande Bharat Express service will run six days a week, except Wednesday.

General Managers of South Western Railway and Southern Railway, Divisional Railway Managers of Chennai, Bengaluru and Mysuru divisions, other senior officials and staff of Southern and South Western Railway were on the trial run.