INDIA: South Western Railway has commissioned two Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets for the planned Bengaluru–Mumbai overnight service, which officials expect to cover the route in about 16 hours.

Vande Bharat Sleeper trainset standing in the SMVT Bengaluru railway yard
Vande Bharat Sleeper rake at SMVT Bengaluru railway yard. Illustrative photo. Photo: Sameer2905, CC BY-SA 4.0.

South Western Railway has commissioned two 16-coach Vande Bharat Sleeper trainsets after testing and inspections. The rakes were built by BEML in Bengaluru under a programme led by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.

Regular passenger operation has not started. SWR says a route trial is still planned to assess journey time and support RDSO speed trials, while the final timetable has yet to be notified.

A 16-hour overnight target against roughly 24 hours today

The planned service is expected to leave both Bengaluru and Mumbai at night and take about 16 hours. That would cut roughly eight hours from the journey compared with the two dedicated trains cited by SWR — Udyan Express and the SMVT Bengaluru–LTT Mumbai Express — which take about 24 hours.

The 16-coach formation comprises 11 3AC coaches, four 2AC coaches and one 1AC coach. The expected 3AC fare is around Rs 3,000 including on-board meals, but that figure remains preliminary until the railway publishes the final fare and timetable.

In May, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper was expected to start soon. The commissioning update does not set a launch date: route trials and formal timetable notification remain key steps before passengers can rely on the proposed 16-hour schedule.

Don’t miss…Greece Tests New Electric and Hybrid Passenger Trains

Route through Kalyana Karnataka, exact stops pending

SWR plans to run the train through Kalyana Karnataka, serving the Raichur, Yadgir and Kalaburagi districts. The 1,137 km corridor is fully electrified and double-tracked, and most sections support speeds of up to 130 km/h.

Earlier route reporting indicated that Pune, Solapur, Wadi Junction, Raichur and Guntakal were expected on the corridor, while also noting that the exact stops and schedule had not been officially announced. Those points should therefore be treated as provisional rather than a final station list.

The Bengaluru terminal is also unresolved. KSR Bengaluru–CSMT Mumbai is the leading option, while SWR is still considering SMVT Bengaluru as the starting point. Primary rake maintenance would be carried out at either KSR Bengaluru or SMVT Bengaluru.

A Hubballi routing was requested by public representatives and railway activists but was not selected in the source account because it would be longer at 1,216 km and includes single-track sections and speed restrictions.

For passengers, the central proposition is a faster overnight trip between the two cities. The decisive details — exact departure and arrival times, final stops and the Bengaluru terminal — will remain provisional until SWR completes the planned trials and issues the timetable.

News on railway transport, industry, and railway technologies from Railway Supply that you might have missed:

Don’t miss…Rail beats flying by up to 140 minutes on 10 routes