BENGALURU: Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna on Thursday said the Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper train, the second such service in India, is set to be launched on November 1. The service is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities from around 24 hours to about 16 hours, saving six to eight hours, Somanna said. The train will have 16 fully air-conditioned coaches with 823 berths, offering overnight travel between the two cities, he added.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the train is proposed to connect Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru (SMVB) with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai (CSMT), operating six days a week. It is expected to depart Bengaluru at 7.50 pm and reach Mumbai at 11.55 am the following day, taking around 16 hours and five minutes.
On the return journey, the train is proposed to leave Mumbai at 8.10 pm and arrive in Bengaluru at 11.55 am the next day, with a journey time of about 15 hours and 45 minutes. However, the South Western Railways is yet to receive an official notification from the Railway Board.