The proposed Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Express could reduce rail travel between the two cities from about 24 hours to nearly 16 hours, with South Western Railway (SWR) proposing November 1 for an inaugural special run. The date for regular commercial operations has not yet been announced.
The proposed service would be the first Vande Bharat sleeper train to operate in southern India. According to SWR sources cited by the Times of India, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is likely to flag off the train on the occasion of Karnataka Rajyotsava. The inaugural date, however, remains a proposal rather than a confirmed operating schedule.
The train is expected to run under the numbers 27651 and 27652 and will cover 1,118 km between KSR Bengaluru and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Its 16-coach formation is planned to include 11 AC three-tier coaches, four AC two-tier coaches and one AC First Class coach, providing a total of 823 berths.
Likely fares are expected to range from Rs 2,600 to Rs 4,250, depending on the class of travel. Railway authorities have not released the final fare structure. Earlier reports indicated that the train could leave KSR Bengaluru at 10 pm and reach CSMT at 1:50 pm the following day. The return service could depart Mumbai at 10:30 pm and arrive in Bengaluru at 2:50 pm, although these timings have also not been finalised.
The planned route is expected to pass through Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Solapur and Kalyan before reaching Mumbai. The service would provide a faster overnight rail option on a corridor where the Udyan Express, the main daily direct train between Bengaluru and Mumbai, currently takes approximately 24 hours.
The sleeper train is designed for operations at speeds of up to 160 kmph and has a maximum testing speed of 180 kmph. Much of the Indian Railways network, however, does not currently have the infrastructure required to support trains operating consistently at those speeds. The journey-time reduction will therefore depend not only on the train’s design but also on route capacity, track conditions, signalling and operating schedules.
The Vande Bharat sleeper coaches include cushioned berths, redesigned upper-berth access, dedicated night lights, visual passenger information displays, CCTV surveillance and modular pantry units. The train will also have bio-vacuum toilets, a separate accessible toilet with a baby-care station and hot-water showers for AC First Class passengers.
Safety and operational features include the indigenous KAVACH anti-collision system, regenerative braking, automatic inter-coach doors and sealed gangways. Individual reading lights, charging points, refreshment tables, a Centralised Coach Monitoring System and an emergency communication facility connecting passengers with the driver are also planned.
SWR officials said the service could not be introduced in October because the model code of conduct was in force for the Karnataka legislative council elections. The next confirmed milestones are the final decision on the inaugural special run, notification of regular commercial operations, and the release of definitive timings and fares. Separately, the Integral Coach Factory is developing its own version of a Vande Bharat sleeper train.
