MP L.K. Sudhish, in Parliament on Friday (July 25), sought to know if the Railway Ministry was considering the introduction of Vande Bharat trains between Coimbatore and Madurai, considering the growing passenger demand, tourism development, and the needs of educational and industrial sectors.

In his reply, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Coimbatore and Madurai stations are being served by 174 train services and 132 train services respectively, including six Vande Bharat services each.

Madurai-Coimbatore sector is presently served by six pairs of trains, the Railway Minister said, adding that any new introduction, including Vande Bharat train services, will depend on various factors: capacity of the section, availability of path, availability of required rolling stock, availability of matching infrastructure for rolling stock, maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets, and occupancy and the traffic requirement of the section.