Bengaluru: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday flagged off the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Bengaluru and Mumbai, introducing a new overnight rail service connecting two of India’s major economic centres.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and H. D. Kumaraswamy, Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna, Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje and other dignitaries.
The new service will connect Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT), Bengaluru, with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai, while providing improved rail connectivity to important centres across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The train will run via Anantapur and Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh; Raichur, Yadgir, Wadi and Kalaburagi in Karnataka; and Solapur, Pune and Kalyan in Maharashtra. It is expected to benefit professionals, business travellers, students, traders, tourists and families travelling between the regions.
Addressing the occasion, Vaishnaw said the service would connect Bengaluru, the country’s IT and startup hub, with Mumbai, its financial capital. He also announced that the next Vande Bharat Sleeper service for Karnataka would originate from Bengaluru, connect the northern parts of the state towards the Hubballi region and proceed towards Pune and Mumbai.
He further said that Vande Bharat services between Bengaluru and Mangaluru are expected to commence within the next few weeks, following completion of electrification and successful testing on the route. The service is expected to improve connectivity between Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka.
The Railway Minister also highlighted plans to expand high-speed connectivity, stating that the Bengaluru-Chennai journey would take around 73 minutes, while travel between Bengaluru and Hyderabad would take approximately two hours and 10 minutes.
Timings and frequency
The Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Express will depart SMVT Bengaluru at 7.45 pm and reach CSMT at 11.55 am the following day. In the return direction, it will leave CSMT at 8.10 pm and arrive at SMVT Bengaluru at noon the next day.
The service will operate six days a week, except Mondays from Bengaluru and Tuesdays from Mumbai. The overnight schedule is expected to allow passengers to travel between the two cities while making better use of their daytime.
Focus on railway development in Karnataka
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi welcomed the new service and appreciated the Centre’s efforts to strengthen railway infrastructure across Karnataka, particularly in the northern districts. He highlighted the increased allocation for railway development and said investments had accelerated infrastructure expansion and safety improvements.
Joshi also referred to the reduction in railway accidents from 135 to 16 following the rollout of the Kavach train protection system, reiterating the goal of achieving zero accidents.
Union Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy welcomed the Bengaluru-Mumbai service and the proposed connectivity between Bengaluru and Mangaluru. He said the initiatives would benefit people across Karnataka as well as migrant workers and families from states such as West Bengal, Assam and Bihar living in Bengaluru.
Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna highlighted the transformation of railway infrastructure in Karnataka, stating that projects worth around ₹52,000 crore are currently underway in the state. He also referred to efforts to expedite pending projects, construct railway overbridges and underbridges, and modernise stations across Bengaluru and other important centres.
The Bengaluru-Mumbai service follows the introduction of Vande Bharat Sleeper services on the Howrah-Guwahati corridor in January 2026 and the recent flag-off of the Varanasi-New Delhi service. The expansion is part of Indian Railways’ efforts to develop modern overnight rail connectivity and improve passenger services across the country.
