By The new service will extend the existing Mangaluru Central–Madgaon Vande Bharat route to Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru, providing a direct semi-high-speed rail connection between the Karnataka capital, coastal Karnataka and Goa. The Railway Board has arranged two new 16-coach Vande Bharat rakes in orange livery, with one stationed in Bengaluru and the other in Mangaluru ahead of the inauguration.
Modi to Flag Off Service During Bengaluru Visit
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit Bengaluru to dedicate the 7.5-km Pink Line of Namma Metro, connecting Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere along Bannerghatta Road.
During the visit, he is expected to remotely flag off the Bengaluru–Goa Vande Bharat Express from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal. However, regular services will operate from Yeshwantpur railway station.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will flag off the service from Mangaluru Junction. The inaugural trains in both directions will run simultaneously, with one heading towards Madgaon and the other towards Bengaluru.
The inaugural Yeshwantpur–Madgaon train is scheduled to reach Mangaluru Junction at 9 pm, Udupi at 9.30 pm and Karwar at 1.22 am before arriving in Madgaon at 2.55 am. The inaugural service from Mangaluru towards Yeshwantpur is scheduled to reach Bengaluru at 9 pm.
Existing Mangaluru–Madgaon Service to Be Extended
The Railway Ministry had announced the route extension on September 29. The new Yeshwantpur–Mangaluru–Madgaon–Yeshwantpur service will operate as Train Nos. 26655 and 26656 by extending the existing Mangaluru Central–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express, which runs as Train Nos. 20646 and 20645.
With the change taking effect on November 15, the existing Mangaluru Central–Madgaon Vande Bharat service will be discontinued.
12 Stations Along the Route
The Bengaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express will stop at 12 stations between its originating and terminating points. These are:
- Shravanabelagola
- Hassan
- Sakleshpur
- Subrahmanya Road
- Kabaka Puttur
- Mangaluru Junction
- Udupi
- Kundapura
- Byndoor
- Murdeshwar
- Gokarna Road
- Karwar
The scheduled timetable is as follows:
| Route | Departure | Arrival | Running time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yeshwantpur–Madgaon | 7:35 am | 8:55 pm | 12 hours 20 minutes |
| Madgaon–Yeshwantpur | 8:20 am | 9:15 pm | 13 hours |
The Yeshwantpur–Madgaon service will not operate on Wednesdays, while the return service from Madgaon will remain off on Thursdays.
Longest-Duration and Slowest Vande Bharat Service
Despite carrying the Vande Bharat name, the new route will have a considerably longer journey time than most other services in the network. According to the details provided, it will be the longest-duration Vande Bharat chair-car service among the 82 pairs operating across India.
It will also have the lowest average speed among these services, at around 54 kmph on the Yeshwantpur–Madgaon journey and 53 kmph on the return trip.
The extended route will connect several important towns and coastal destinations across Karnataka before reaching Goa, offering passengers a direct rail option between Bengaluru, coastal Karnataka and Madgaon.
