Mumbai–Bengaluru Vande Bharat sleeper set for a 1 November start, halting at Kalyan, Pune and Solapur in Maharashtra; official timetable awaited

A Vande Bharat sleeper train that would cut the overnight rail journey between Mumbai and Bengaluru by about six hours is reported to start on Sunday, 1 November. Deccan Herald, quoting railway sources, says the green flag will be waved that day, which is Karnataka Rajyotsava, with regular passenger runs from Monday, 2 November. In Mumbai it will start from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), and in Maharashtra it will halt at Kalyan, Pune and Solapur.

Neither the Ministry of Railways nor the Railway Board has yet officially announced the date, the timetable or the fares; a Railway Board notification is still awaited. The details below are proposed and may change in the final timetable.

Proposed timings

• Mumbai (CSMT) to Bengaluru: leaves at 8.10 pm, arrives at 11.55 am the next day (about 15 hours 45 minutes)
• Bengaluru to Mumbai (CSMT): leaves at 7.50 pm, arrives at 11.55 am the next day (about 16 hours 5 minutes)
• Six days a week; Marathi media report there will be no departure from Mumbai on Tuesdays or from Bengaluru on Mondays
• Likely train numbers: 27651 (Mumbai–Bengaluru) and 27652 (Bengaluru–Mumbai)

These timings come from the tentative schedule reported by Deccan Herald, and Business Today and TV9 Marathi give the same. Saam TV (eSakal) reports different times, however: a 10.00 pm departure from Bengaluru reaching CSMT at 1.50 pm the next day. The exact timings will be clear only once the railways publish the official timetable.

Route and halts

The train will run via Pune, Solapur, Kalaburagi and Guntakal. The intermediate halts named in reports are:

• In Maharashtra: Kalyan, Pune, Solapur
• Karnataka: Kalaburagi, Raichur (some reports also list Wadi)
• Andhra Pradesh: Guntakal, Anantapur (some reports also list Dharmavaram)
• Bengaluru terminal: Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) according to most reports; some name KSR Bengaluru

On board

• 16 air-conditioned coaches with 823 berths in all
• AC three-tier: 11 coaches, 611 berths
• AC two-tier: 4 coaches, 188 berths
• AC first class: 1 coach, 24 berths

Two BEML-built rakes will serve the route, and a trial run was recently held on the ghat section between Mumbai and Pune. The Udyan Express, the one direct train on this route today, needs about 22 hours; the new service would bring that down to about 16.

For passengers

• The railways have not yet said when booking opens or what tickets will cost. Fare figures doing the rounds in the media are estimates; check the official fare on IRCTC before you book.
• Arrival times at Kalyan, Pune and Solapur will be known only when the official timetable is out.
• Because the train goes via Solapur, it will not serve Satara, Karad, Sangli-Miraj or Kolhapur. Passengers and elected representatives from that belt had asked for it to run via Miraj and Belagavi, Saam TV reports.
• Reports also say the formal announcement could be held up by poll rules now applying in Karnataka for its Legislative Council elections.

Sources: Deccan Herald; Business Today; TV9 Marathi; Saam TV (eSakal); Prahaar; Oneindia