The Vande Bharat Express, which was on a trial run from Chennai to Coimbatore, reached here 22 minutes ahead of its scheduled time of 11.40 AM on Thursday, railway officials said.

The train which left Chennai at 5.40 AM reached Coimbatore at 11.18 AM, taking a total journey time of five hours and 38 minutes.

The trial run was carried out successfully and the train left on its return journey from Coimbatore at 12.24 PM with railway officials, including Salem Railway Division Manager Pankaj Kumar Sinha, on board, the sources said.

The train had eight coaches, including one executive coach, and 530 seats in all. The scheduled arrival and departure timings of the train would be decided after the formal inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled on April 8, the officials said. Welcoming the train, various industrial and trade bodies said it would help increase trade, and sought a similar train to Thiruvananthapuram from Coimbatore, covering Palani, Tirunelveli and Madurai.

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