<p>Bengaluru: The railways on Thursday announced a new dedicated train between <a href="https://ww.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a> and <a href="https://ww.deccanherald.com/tags/mumbai">Mumbai</a> via <a href="https://ww.deccanherald.com/tags/hubballi">Hubballi</a> but the service will take nearly 24 hours and will not be a superfast, contrary to assurances given by Railway Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/ashwini-vaishnaw">Ashwini Vaishnaw</a>. </p>.<p>The SMVT Bengaluru-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-SMVT Bengaluru Bi-Weekly Express will start from SMVT Bengaluru on May 23 from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on May 24.</p>.<p>Train number 16553 will depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 8.35 pm on Saturdays and Tuesdays and reach LTT at 8.40 pm on Sundays and Wednesdays, respectively.</p>.<p>In the return direction, train number 16554 will depart from LTT at 11.15 pm on Sundays and Wednesdays and arrive at SMVT Bengaluru at 10.30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays, respectively. </p>.<p>The train, running with 17 LHB coaches, will stop at Davangere, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Miraj, Sangli, Karad, Satara, Lonand, Pune, Lonavala, Karjat, Kalyan and Thane.</p>.<p>"The service will cater to the growing travel demand between Karnataka and Maharashtra and provide enhanced connectivity for passengers travelling between Bengaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Pune and Mumbai," the South Western Railway (SWR) said.</p>.<p>Before the regular service begins, the railways will run an inaugural one-way special train (06557 SMVT Bengaluru-LTT Inaugural Special) on May 17. It will depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 10 am and reach LTT at 10.30 am the next day.</p>.Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper train to run via Kalaburagi with 16-hour travel time.<p>The train was approved in December 2025 but its long schedule drew widespread criticism. Elected representatives also slammed the timings.</p>.<p>During a visit to Bengaluru on April 25, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the city would get two trains to Mumbai — a Vande Bharat sleeper via Kalaburagi and a superfast train via Hubballi with LHB coaches.</p>.<p>Dharwad MP and union minister Pralhad Joshi also announced that it would be a superfast and later upgraded to a Vande Bharat sleeper. </p>.<p>But looking at the schedule, train number 16553-16554 is anything but a superfast train.</p>.<p>The train will cover the 1,209-km distance in approximately 24 hours at an average speed of 52 kmph, below the threshold for a superfast train.</p>.<p>Manjunath Kanamadi, Chief Public Relations Officer, SWR, said the Bengaluru-Mumbai route would likely get a Vande Bharat sleeper service via Hubballi and added that details were being worked out. </p>.<p>TP Lokesh of the Karnataka Railway Vedike criticised the long schedule and lamented that the service connects neither KSR Bengaluru nor CSMT Mumbai — the main train hubs in either city.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The railways on Thursday announced a new dedicated train between <a href="https://ww.deccanherald.com/tags/bengaluru">Bengaluru</a> and <a href="https://ww.deccanherald.com/tags/mumbai">Mumbai</a> via <a href="https://ww.deccanherald.com/tags/hubballi">Hubballi</a> but the service will take nearly 24 hours and will not be a superfast, contrary to assurances given by Railway Minister <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/ashwini-vaishnaw">Ashwini Vaishnaw</a>. </p>.<p>The SMVT Bengaluru-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-SMVT Bengaluru Bi-Weekly Express will start from SMVT Bengaluru on May 23 from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus on May 24.</p>.<p>Train number 16553 will depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 8.35 pm on Saturdays and Tuesdays and reach LTT at 8.40 pm on Sundays and Wednesdays, respectively.</p>.<p>In the return direction, train number 16554 will depart from LTT at 11.15 pm on Sundays and Wednesdays and arrive at SMVT Bengaluru at 10.30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays, respectively. </p>.<p>The train, running with 17 LHB coaches, will stop at Davangere, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Miraj, Sangli, Karad, Satara, Lonand, Pune, Lonavala, Karjat, Kalyan and Thane.</p>.<p>"The service will cater to the growing travel demand between Karnataka and Maharashtra and provide enhanced connectivity for passengers travelling between Bengaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Belagavi, Pune and Mumbai," the South Western Railway (SWR) said.</p>.<p>Before the regular service begins, the railways will run an inaugural one-way special train (06557 SMVT Bengaluru-LTT Inaugural Special) on May 17. It will depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 10 am and reach LTT at 10.30 am the next day.</p>.Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper train to run via Kalaburagi with 16-hour travel time.<p>The train was approved in December 2025 but its long schedule drew widespread criticism. Elected representatives also slammed the timings.</p>.<p>During a visit to Bengaluru on April 25, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the city would get two trains to Mumbai — a Vande Bharat sleeper via Kalaburagi and a superfast train via Hubballi with LHB coaches.</p>.<p>Dharwad MP and union minister Pralhad Joshi also announced that it would be a superfast and later upgraded to a Vande Bharat sleeper. </p>.<p>But looking at the schedule, train number 16553-16554 is anything but a superfast train.</p>.<p>The train will cover the 1,209-km distance in approximately 24 hours at an average speed of 52 kmph, below the threshold for a superfast train.</p>.<p>Manjunath Kanamadi, Chief Public Relations Officer, SWR, said the Bengaluru-Mumbai route would likely get a Vande Bharat sleeper service via Hubballi and added that details were being worked out. </p>.<p>TP Lokesh of the Karnataka Railway Vedike criticised the long schedule and lamented that the service connects neither KSR Bengaluru nor CSMT Mumbai — the main train hubs in either city.</p>