Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Express Flagged Off; Journey Time Reduced to 16 Hours

First Vande Bharat Sleeper Service in South India to Boost Connectivity, Trade and Tourism

Bengaluru: Strengthening railway connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday flagged off the inaugural Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Express from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT), Bengaluru.

The 16-coach train will cover approximately 1,118 km in around 16 hours, offering a faster overnight travel option between Bengaluru, India's IT and startup hub, and Mumbai, its financial capital.

The service is expected to benefit professionals, entrepreneurs, students, traders and tourists while creating fresh opportunities for business, employment and tourism, particularly across Kalyana Karnataka.

The train's regular service will operate six days a week, excluding Mondays from Bengaluru and Tuesdays from Mumbai. It will stop at Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan.

Regular services are scheduled to commence from Mumbai on November 2 and from Bengaluru on November 3, 2026.

Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, V. Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje, along with MPs and other dignitaries, attended the flag-off ceremony.

The launch marks a significant addition to India's modern overnight rail network and is expected to improve access to important commercial centres along the route.

The Centre has allocated a record ₹7,748 crore for railway development in Karnataka under the 2026–27 Union Budget, according to the announcement cited by state leaders.