Mangaluru: A new Vande Bharat Express connecting Yeshwantpur, Mangaluru and Madgaon is expected to be introduced in the third week of November, giving passengers on the Bengaluru-coastal Karnataka-Goa corridor a direct daytime service with 12 scheduled halts.
The Railway Ministry has notified train numbers 26655 and 26656 for the service, although the precise inauguration date has not yet been announced. The train will run six days a week, with no service from Yeshwantpur on Wednesdays and no departure from Madgaon on Thursdays. Its route will include the important passenger centres of Hassan, Sakaleshpura, Mangaluru, Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar.
A faster option for Bengaluru-bound passengers
For Mangaluru, the key change is the creation of a direct and faster rail option to Bengaluru. The train is expected to cover the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru stretch in less than eight hours, making it the quickest rail service currently available on the route, according to the details released for the operation. The service will leave Yeshwantpur at 7.35 am, while the return journey from Madgaon is scheduled to begin at 8.20 am.
| Direction | Departure | Key Mangaluru timing | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeshwantpur to Madgaon | 7.35 am | Reaches Mangaluru during the afternoon | Six days a week |
| Madgaon to Yeshwantpur | 8.20 am | Leaves Mangaluru after arrival from Goa | Six days a week |
In the return direction, the service is scheduled to reach Yeshwantpur by night. The route’s stopping pattern also gives passengers from coastal and pilgrimage locations more access to a premium inter-city train. The listed halts are Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakaleshpura, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Mookambika Road at Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar.
Operational limits on the ghat section
The service’s advertised speed will not be available across the entire route. A 55-km section between Sakaleshpura and Subrahmanya Road, despite being electrified, continues to be governed by safety-related speed restrictions. The Vande Bharat will be limited to about 30 kmph on this ghat stretch. This constraint means that the train’s overall performance will depend not only on its onboard technology but also on the physical and safety conditions of the route.
The inclusion of Kabaka Puttur is another local feature of the revised plan. The station was not included in the initial trial arrangement, but passenger demand subsequently resulted in its approval as a halt. For Dakshina Kannada, the stop could improve access to the service for travellers from areas outside the immediate Mangaluru urban region, while also widening the catchment area for Bengaluru and Goa-bound passengers.
Existing Mangaluru-Goa service to be withdrawn
The new arrangement will also bring a change to the current Vande Bharat network. Once the Yeshwantpur-Madgaon service begins, the existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat is to be discontinued. Ticket reservations for that service have already been stopped from November 29, according to the railway information cited in the notification details.
- Train numbers: 26655 and 26656
- Route: Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon
- Frequency: Six days a week
- Stops: 12, including Mangaluru Junction and Kabaka Puttur
- Restriction: 30 kmph on the Sakaleshpura-Subrahmanya Road ghat section
The new service will place Mangaluru on a longer Bengaluru-Goa semi-high-speed corridor rather than treating the city only as the terminal of a coastal train. That may support daytime movement for business, education, tourism and personal travel, while the actual passenger response will depend on fares, punctuality, the final timetable and seat occupancy. The route’s high demand between Bengaluru and Mangaluru provides a strong base for the extension, but the ghat-section restriction remains a practical limit on the train’s ability to deliver uniformly faster journey times.
