The proposed Mumbai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Sleeper train is expected to reduce the journey between the two cities by around six hours and 20 minutes, with passenger operations likely to begin after Dussehra, railway sources said. The nearly 1,000-kilometre route is expected to be covered in 15 hours and 45 minutes, compared with approximately 22 hours and five minutes by the existing Udyan Express.
The train has completed a trial run at speeds of up to 160kmph. Railway preparations for introducing the service are in the final stages, although the launch date, route schedule and operating details are yet to be officially confirmed by the railways.
As per tentative timings, the service is expected to depart Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai at 8.10pm and reach Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru at 11.55am the following day. In the reverse direction, it is expected to leave Bengaluru at 7.50pm and arrive at CSMT at 11.55am the next day.
The proposed route includes Kalyan, Pune, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Guntakal and Anantapur. The service is expected to operate six days a week, with two sleeper Vande Bharat trainsets proposed for the Mumbai-Bengaluru corridor. These details remain tentative until the railways issue an official notification.
The proposed evening departure from Mumbai would create an overnight travel option on a route currently served by the morning-departing Udyan Express. The sleeper configuration is expected to cater to passengers travelling between Mumbai and Bengaluru for work, business and tourism, while providing an alternative to air travel.
The Udyan Express currently departs CSMT at 7.55am and reaches Bengaluru at around 6am the following day. The proposed sleeper service would therefore alter both the duration and timing of the journey, allowing passengers to travel overnight and arrive in Bengaluru before noon under the tentative schedule.
Railway officials said the onboard menu was being finalised in consultation with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation. Regional cuisines are expected to feature on the service, though the final menu has not yet been announced.
The country’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 17, 2026, on the Howrah-Kamakhya route. That service covers the distance between Howrah in West Bengal and Kamakhya in Assam in around 14 hours. The Mumbai-Bengaluru proposal would extend the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat network to another major intercity corridor, subject to final railway approval and notification.
