Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper train approved, travel time likely 17-18 hours

Bengaluru: A Vande Bharat sleeper train service has been approved between KSR Bengaluru and CSMT Mumbai stations, according to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

He made the announcement in a letter to Bangalore Central MP, PC Mohan, on April 5.

Mohan told DH that modalities related to travel time, route and frequency were still being worked out.

"The train service will start soon," he said.

Ashutosh Kumar Singh, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, said the plan was to start a train service with a travel time of 17-18 hours.

Asked about the route that the train service would take, he said details were still being finetuned but pointed out that the Kalaburagi route was shorter than that via Hubballi.

The Kalaburagi route, through which the existing Udyan Express operates, spans 1,136 km. It is fully electrified but does not have double tracks all along. However, it serves only a few districts in Karnataka.

While the Hubballi route is longer at 1,215 km and is also fully electrified, it passes through the Karnataka hinterland, covering more than half-a-dozen districts. Public representatives from Karnataka and railway enthusiasts have pushed for this route.

In December 2025, the Railway Board approved a biweekly train between the two cities with 17 LHB coaches and travel time of over 24 hours. The proposal was put on hold following public criticism, and no public notification was issued.

The railways then decided to introduce a premium train instead. While a Duronto Express was considered initially, discussions eventually focused on the Vande Bharat sleeper, railway officials said.

TP Lokesh of the Karnataka Railway Vedike said the Vande Bharat sleeper service would have high ticket prices, compared to air fares.

"A 3AC seat will likely cost Rs 3,000. How many people can afford that? We wanted a superfast train with regular fares," he added.