The first service of Train No. 16511/16512 KSR Bengaluru- Kannur- KSR Bengaluru Express to Kozhikkode will start from Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) Bengaluru Railway Station at 9.35 pm
Kozhikode / Bengaluru, NFAPost: Industry and Trade bodies in Bengaluru and Kozhikode, cultural associations and political leaders appreciated the Railway Board decision to extend Train No. 16511/16512 KSR Bengaluru- Kannur- KSR Bengaluru Express to Kozhikode.
Even before the arrival of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498, Kozhikode had gained popularity as a global hub of trade with its spices. It further grew under the leadership of Zamorins. Kozhikode, also known as Calicut, is a city along the Malabar Coast in the state of Kerala, is also known as the City of Spices. It is the 19th largest urban agglomeration in the country and the second largest one in Kerala.
Speaking to TheNFAPost, Malabar Chamber Of Commerce President Nityanand Kamath, who is also Managing Director of Ace Group headquartered in Kozhikode, said it is really a positive move from the Railway Board to further expand B2B connection via better passenger movement.
“I am happy that it is commencing its first journey from today (15.03.2026) from Bengaluru at 9.35 pm and will reach Kozhikode tomorrow (16.03.2026) at 12.40 noon. So the historical city of Zamorin will have better connectivity with the Silicon Valley of Asia, Bengaluru,” said Malabar Chamber Of Commerce President Nityanand Kamath.
As per the South Western Railway press release, the train will will arrive/depart at Kannur at 10.55/11.00 am, Thalassery at 11.20/11.21 am, Vadakara at 11.41/11.42 am, Quilandi at 11.58/11.59 am and reach Kozhikode at 12.40 pm.
Train No. 16512 Kozhikkode- KSR Bengaluru Express will depart from Kozhikkode at 03.30 pm, arrive/depart at Quilandi at 03.52/03.53 pm, Vadakara at 04.12/04.13 pm, Thalassery at 04.34/04.35 pm and Kannur at 05.00/05.05 pm. SMVT Bengaluru at 7.45 am.
Suvarna Karnataka Kerala Samajam General Secretary K P Sasidharan said it is one of the momentous occasions in the history of Kerala people residing in Bengaluru and nearby areas.
“We want South Western Railway (SWR) and the Railway Board to take a very lenient attitude towards the hardships of railway passengers to Kerala. The extension of Train No. 16511/16512 KSR Bengaluru- Kannur- KSR Bengaluru Express to Kozhikode is a right step in this direction to ease traffic. We expect more trains in future from Bengaluru to Kerala,” said Suvarna Karnataka Kerala Samajam General Secretary K P Sasidharan.
Kozhikode is one of the largest economic hubs in Kerala, with its economy primarily driven by the service sector, followed by industrial activities. The city has a rich banking history, being the birthplace of Nedungari, the first and oldest bank in modern Kerala, which was established by Appu Nedungadi in 1899. The bank was later merged with Punjab National Bank.
Malabar Angels Network Cofounder P K Gopalakrishnan said Kozhikode is emerging as a major center for information technology (IT) in Kerala along with other business activities.
“Cyberpark, a Government of Kerala initiative, was established to build, operate, and manage IT parks in the Malabar region to promote investment in IT and IT-enabled services (ITES). It is the third IT hub in Kerala, following Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. Other major IT and business hubs in Kozhikode include UL Cyberpark, which is the first IT SEZ (Special Economic Zone) in the Malabar region, Government Cyberpark, and Hilite Business Park, which houses multiple IT firms and corporate offices. So there is a continuous movement of people to business between Kozhikode and Bengaluru,” said Malabar Angels Network Cofounder P K Gopalakrishnan.
Hindusthan Textiles Bengaluru General Manager A Ramdas said it is really a blessing for travellers who are commuting between Kannur and Kozhiode.
“I used to go to my company, Hindusthan Textiles at Kannur via train. My home is in Qoyilandi. Now I can go to my headquarters and my home with this additional train service. My daughter is married to Payyannur. For that, I am also availing train service,” said Hindusthan Textiles Bengaluru General Manager A Ramdas.
Appreciating South Western Railways, Kerala Samajam General Secretary Reji Kumar said the new train will definitely help passengers.
“It is a right step in the right direction, as there is more passenger movement from Bengaluru to Kerala. Kerala Samajam expects more train service to various parts of the state to ease congestion, as there is a spurt in religious tourism to Kerala and job seekers from Kerala to Bengaluru,” said Kerala Samajam General Secretary Reji Kumar.
But CA Adwaid Kundoor has a different opinion as he highlighted that the new train will not help Kozhikode residents to reach home.
“Starting from 9.35 pm, the train will reach my home town in Kozhikode by noon only. Normally, I reach there in the morning time if I go via Yeswantpur-Kannur Express or via bus. It will take half a day before reaching home. Then again, when I return, I will lose half a day as I will have to start early to catch this train,” said CA Adwaid Kundoor.
Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Uma Reddy also appreciated the gesture of the Railway Board to extend the train up to the historical city of Kozhikode.
“There is growing momentum for Keralites to come and do business in Bengaluru and other cities in Karnataka. The new train service will help more Keralites to further expand their business activities in the state of Karnataka as the state is known for its friendly investment environment. We welcome Non-Resident Keralites to invest in the state, and their relatives in Kerala also support in that endeavour,” said Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
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