The Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper train is set to begin operations with an inaugural special service on November 1, reducing travel time between the two commercial cities to about 16 hours, according to South Western Railway officials quoted by Prajavani.
The inaugural train, numbered 27651/652, will run on Karnataka Rajyೋತ್ಸವ Day. The regular service timetable will be announced later, railway officials said. The service was initially targeted for an October launch, but the start was postponed amid elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council.
The proposed service will operate daily in both directions. The train is scheduled to leave Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai at 8.10 pm and reach Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru at 11.55 am the following day. In the reverse direction, it is scheduled to depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 7.50 pm and arrive at CSMT at 11.55 am the next morning.
The 16-coach train is proposed to stop at Dharmavaram, Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Wadi, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan. The final operating timetable and other service details are expected to be issued by the railway authorities.
The new service is expected to substantially reduce the journey time compared with the existing Udyan Express, which currently takes about 24 hours between Bengaluru and Mumbai. Udyan Express has served as the principal rail link between the cities for around four decades, but passengers have repeatedly sought a faster connection.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said last year that a Vande Bharat superfast service would be introduced between Bengaluru and Mumbai. In April, the minister wrote to Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan stating that approval had been given for a new Vande Bharat sleeper service between KSR Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
Passenger expectations had been affected in May when a Bengaluru–Mumbai express service operating twice a week was introduced instead of the proposed Vande Bharat service. Some travellers criticised that train for not delivering the speed they had expected. The planned sleeper service now offers a faster overnight option for passengers travelling between the two cities, including business travellers and other regular users of the corridor.
The choice of Bengaluru terminal remains an important operational issue. The inaugural service will run from KSR Bengaluru to Mumbai, but current information indicates that regular services will operate from SMVT Bengaluru. Railway activist K.N. Krishnaprasad said the service should continue from KSR or, alternatively, begin at Yeshwanthpur to improve access for residents of north and central Bengaluru.
The railway authorities are expected to publish the regular schedule and confirm the final operating arrangements after the inaugural service.
