BENGALURU: An overnight Vande Bharat Sleeper service linking Bengaluru with Mumbai was inaugurated on Sunday, creating a new rail option between two of India’s major metropolitan centres and opening a faster long-distance connection for passengers from parts of Karnataka.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the inaugural special from Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT), Bengaluru. The 16-coach train is scheduled to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai at 6.15 am on Monday. Regular operations on the Mumbai-bound route will begin on November 2, while the return service will start on November 3, according to South Western Railway.
Service pattern and route
Train No. 27652 will leave SMVT Bengaluru at 7.45 pm and arrive at CSMT Mumbai at 11.55 am the following day. It will operate six days a week, with Monday excluded. The return train, numbered 27651, will depart Mumbai at 8.10 pm and reach Bengaluru at noon the next day, operating six days a week except Tuesday.
| Direction | Departure | Arrival | Operating days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bengaluru to Mumbai | 7.45 pm | 11.55 am next day | Except Mondays |
| Mumbai to Bengaluru | 8.10 pm | Noon next day | Except Tuesdays |
The train will travel through Anantapur and Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh before entering Karnataka again. Its listed stops in Karnataka are Raichur, Yadgir and Kalaburagi. It will then proceed through Solapur, Pune and Kalyan in Maharashtra before terminating in Mumbai. The route gives North Karnataka towns a direct link to both Bengaluru and the Mumbai-Pune economic corridor.
Vaishnaw said the service connected Bengaluru, described at the event as an information technology and start-up centre, with Mumbai, the country’s financial hub. The launch was attended by Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and H D Kumaraswamy, Ministers of State V Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje, and Members of Parliament Tejasvi Surya, P C Mohan and C N Manjunath, among others.
“The train will cover several parts of North Karnataka, which were erstwhile uncovered by good, world-class train connectivity,” Vaishnaw said.
More services announced from Bengaluru
The Railway Minister also announced that the next Vande Bharat Sleeper train allocated to Karnataka would originate in Bengaluru and run through Hubballi, connecting different parts of North Karnataka before continuing towards Pune and Mumbai. The announcement indicates an effort to use Bengaluru as a base for expanding overnight rail access beyond the city’s established inter-state corridors.
- The inaugural sleeper rake has 16 coaches.
- The first service covers Bengaluru, North Karnataka, Solapur, Pune and Mumbai.
- A further sleeper route via Hubballi has been announced for Karnataka.
Vaishnaw also announced a Vande Bharat Chair Car service between Bengaluru and Mangaluru, following completion of electrification and testing on the route. The Railway Board approved a Yesvantpur-Madgaon service via Mangaluru Junction on October 30. That train is scheduled to stop at 12 stations, including Hassan, Sakleshpur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar.
The Yesvantpur-Madgaon service, numbered 26655 and 26656, is scheduled to leave Yesvantpur at 7.35 am and reach Madgaon at 8.55 pm. It will operate six days a week, except Wednesdays. For Bengaluru passengers, the two announcements together point to a widening premium rail network: a sleeper service aimed at overnight travel to western India and a daytime chair-car connection serving the coastal belt. The immediate test for the new Mumbai service will be how effectively its timings and six-day schedule translate into practical choices for business, tourism and regional travel.
