Thiruvananthapuram: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off four new railway services from Thiruvananthapuram, including three Amrit Bharat Express trains and a new passenger service, giving a major push to rail connectivity across southern India.
The newly introduced services include the Nagercoil–Mangaluru Amrit Bharat Express, Thiruvananthapuram–Tambaram Amrit Bharat Express, Thiruvananthapuram–Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express, and a passenger train connecting Thrissur and Guruvayur. The launch is expected to significantly improve both long-distance and regional travel across Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The new rail links aim to enhance mobility, strengthen economic integration and provide faster, more efficient travel options for passengers across multiple states in the region. Railway officials said the services would cater to growing passenger demand while supporting trade, tourism and workforce movement.
Ahead of the event, Prime Minister Modi said he was looking forward to being among the people of Thiruvananthapuram and inaugurating several development initiatives from the city. Along with the train services, he also launched the PM SVANidhi Credit Card and facilitated the disbursal of PM SVANidhi loans to one lakh beneficiaries.
During the visit, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the CSIR–National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship Hub in Thiruvananthapuram. The upcoming hub will focus on life sciences and the bio-economy, combine traditional knowledge systems such as Ayurveda with modern biotechnology, and promote innovation in areas like sustainable packaging and green hydrogen.
The initiatives form part of the Centre’s broader push to strengthen infrastructure, support innovation and improve connectivity across the southern states.
