Bengaluru: The highly anticipated Vande Bharat sleeper train connecting KSR Bengaluru and CSMT Mumbai will begin operations by August, according to railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. In an exclusive interaction with TOI on Saturday, Vaishnaw confirmed that the train will run via Solapur and Kalaburagi.
For over a decade, the Udyaan Express has been the only train service between Bengaluru and Mumbai, taking more than 24 hours for a single journey. The Vande Bharat sleeper is expected to complete the journey in approximately 15 hours. Sources indicate that services will start in the evening to ensure arrival at the destination by morning.
Referring to India's first Vande Bharat sleeper between Howrah in Kolkata and Kamakhya in Guwahati, the minister said, "Super response from passengers. It's like 80% excellent and 20% very good—that is the feedback we have."
Future Plans
Vaishnaw revealed that a third route has been almost finalized. "We will be running one Vande Bharat sleeper between Bengaluru and Mumbai sometime between July and August," he said. The railways is also planning a superfast train service from Bengaluru to Mumbai via Hubballi and Pune, featuring LHB coaches.
Mangaluru-Bengaluru Trial Run Soon
Vaishnaw also announced that the Vande Bharat Express between Bengaluru and Mangaluru is closer to reality, with trial runs expected to commence shortly. "The first challenge was electrification, because that section was a joint venture of the state government and railways, and as funds were not coming from the state, we decided to do the entire work from central government funds. That's why it was delayed," he explained.
The route presented technical challenges due to ghat sections. The 55-kilometer stretch between Sakleshpura and Subrahmanya Road requires all trains to have an auto emergency brake (AEB) arrangement due to steep gradients. Unlike other trains that run on external locomotives, the self-propelling Vande Bharat Express rakes were not equipped with AEB.
The ministry has decided to retrofit the AEB system in the train. "The trains have to be fitted with a particular device called AEB. That retrofitment has been done. Now we will provide Vande Bharat service to the entire coastal Karnataka, all the way from Madgaon (Goa) to Mangaluru and then from Mangaluru to Bengaluru," Vaishnaw said.
On the start date, he stated, "After the trials are completed and we get the safety certificates, then we can start."
