Bengaluru and Mumbai now have an overnight Vande Bharat of their own. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Express from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) in Bengaluru on Sunday, November 1 – Kannada Rajyotsava – and regular, ticketed services begin this week, with the first scheduled run leaving Mumbai CSMT on Monday night, November 2.
For the lakhs of people who shuttle between India's tech capital and its financial capital, the new train offers something the route has long lacked: a modern, fully air-conditioned sleeper that leaves after office hours and arrives before lunch the next day.
Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper: timings and train numbers
The service runs as two numbered trains, one in each direction, six days a week. Each direction skips a different day, so plan bookings carefully.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Train 27652 (Bengaluru → Mumbai) | Departs SMVT Bengaluru 7:45 pm, arrives CSMT Mumbai 11:55 am next day |
| Train 27651 (Mumbai → Bengaluru) | Departs CSMT Mumbai 8:10 pm, arrives SMVT Bengaluru 12:00 noon next day |
| Journey time | About 16 hr 10 min northbound; about 15 hr 50 min southbound |
| Does not run | Mondays from Bengaluru; Tuesdays from Mumbai |
| Regular service starts | November 2 from Mumbai; November 3 from Bengaluru |
| Coaches | 16 (11 AC 3-tier, 4 AC 2-tier, 1 First AC) |
| Capacity | 823 berths |
| Operating zone | South Western Railway |
Route and stoppages
Rather than hugging the Karnataka coast or running through Hubballi, the train takes the inland route through Andhra Pradesh and North Karnataka before climbing into Maharashtra. That gives several districts that rarely see premium trains a direct overnight link to both metros.
- SMVT Bengaluru (origin)
- Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh)
- Guntakal (Andhra Pradesh)
- Raichur (Karnataka)
- Yadgir (Karnataka)
- Kalaburagi (Karnataka)
- Solapur (Maharashtra)
- Pune (Maharashtra)
- Kalyan (Maharashtra)
- CSMT Mumbai (destination)
The inaugural special on Sunday also halted at Hindupur, Dharmavaram and Lonavala, but those three stops are not part of the regular timetable. The Ministry of Railways has pointed out that the route covers parts of North Karnataka that did not have a Vande Bharat service until now.
What the coaches offer
The 16-coach rake is the sleeper version of the Vande Bharat trainset that has so far been best known for its chair-car day services. Its 11 AC three-tier coaches account for 611 berths, the four AC two-tier coaches hold 188, and the single First AC coach has 24 – 823 passengers in all.
Railway officials have highlighted easier-to-climb berths for upper and middle levels, facilities for passengers with disabilities and improved cabins for loco pilots. Like the other sleeper trainsets introduced this year, the train is designed in-house and built in India.
What the minister said
Speaking at SMVT, Vaishnaw described the train as a link between "Bengaluru, the IT and startup capital, with Mumbai, the financial capital." He also said that practically the entire design had been done by Indian engineers and all manufacturing had happened in the country, adding that Indian Railways has started exporting components such as propulsion systems and bogies and expects to export complete Vande Bharat trains in the coming years.
Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and H.D. Kumaraswamy, Ministers of State V. Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje, and Bengaluru MPs Tejasvi Surya, P.C. Mohan and C.N. Manjunath attended the ceremony. Somanna said more than Rs 52,000 crore had been spent on railway development in Karnataka over the past five years.
What it means for passengers
The Bengaluru–Mumbai corridor is one of the country's busiest for business and family travel, and flights on the route are often expensive at short notice. An overnight train that departs in the evening and arrives late morning effectively saves a night's hotel stay and a working day, which is why sleeper Vande Bharat trains have been in such demand on other routes.
Students and job-seekers from Raichur, Yadgir and Kalaburagi gain a faster, more comfortable option to reach Pune and Mumbai, while Anantapur and Guntakal get a premium link to Bengaluru. Pune, a major IT hub in its own right, now has a direct overnight sleeper to Bengaluru as well.
Fares had not been widely published at the time of writing. Passengers should check the IRCTC website or app for the latest class-wise fares and availability before travelling.
What happens next
Vaishnaw announced that Karnataka will get another Vande Bharat Sleeper, which will also originate in Bengaluru but run through North Karnataka towards Hubballi before continuing to Pune and Mumbai. No timetable or launch date has been announced for that service yet.
Meanwhile, the first regular run from Bengaluru leaves SMVT on Tuesday, November 3, at 7:45 pm. Since the northbound train does not run on Mondays, passengers planning a weekend return from Mumbai should note that the Mumbai departure skips Tuesdays instead.
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