Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Train Commencement Date

The Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper train is likely to be launched on November 1 at the same time as the Karnataka Rajyotsava, with regular services expected to start the following day.

The service is designed to operate six days a week, although an official announcement from the Railway Board is awaited. Sources in South Western Railway (SWR) said that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw should sign off on the service.

Once introduced, it will become the first Vande Bharat sleeper train to operate in South India, providing overnight rail connectivity between two major metropolitan cities.

According to a Railway Board communication accessed by The Hindu, the service was approved following minutes of a meeting held on February 16, 2026. The Bengaluru-Mumbai route will operate as train No. 27652, while the return journey from Mumbai will be No. 27651.

As per the proposed timetable, Train No. 27652 will depart from KSR Bengaluru at 10:00 PM and reach Dharmavaram at 12:50 PM and Wadi at 5:05 AM before arriving at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai at 1:50 PM the next day.

In the opposite direction, Train No. 27651 will depart from CSMT at 10:30 PM and reach Wadi at 7:25 AM and Dharmavaram at 11:45 AM and terminate at KSR Bengaluru at 2:50 PM.

The route will connect important railway stations in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

27652/27651KSR Bengaluru Dharmavaram AnantapurGuntakalRaichurWadiKalaburagi SolapurPuneKalyanMumbai CST

The proposed mode of operation stipulates that the Bengaluru-Mumbai train will remain out of service on Mondays and the Mumbai-Bengaluru train on Tuesdays. According to a Railway Board document, two Vande Bharat sleeper trainsets will be deployed for the service.

Solapur and Pune were earmarked for irrigation and other terminal related requirements.

Focus on overnight travel

The new service is intended to provide a faster and more convenient option for long-distance overnight travelers. Earlier, Mr. Vaishnaw had hinted that the Bengaluru-Mumbai sleeper service would soon be introduced and would mark the debut of the Vande Bharat sleeper variant in South India.

India’s first commercial sleeper service Vande Bharat commenced operations on 22 January 2026 between Kamakhya in Assam and Howrah in West Bengal. A train operated by Northeast Frontier Railway covers approximately 972 km in approximately 14 hours.

The Vande Bharat sleeper trains, designed primarily for overnight journeys of 800 to 1,200 km, are intended to offer an alternative to conventional premium long-distance services, including Rajdhani Express trains, on selected routes.

The Vande Bharat 16 coach berth can accommodate 823 passengers. It consists of 11 third AC coaches with 611 berths, four second AC coaches providing 188 berths and one first AC coach with 24 berths.

The train is equipped with fully air-conditioned carriages, automatic sliding doors, camera surveillance, bio-vacuum toilets, sensor controlled water taps, individual reading lights, charging points and a digital passenger information display. The food facility will offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals.

Safety features include the Kavach indigenous automatic train security system and emergency callbacks. The driver’s cabins are air-conditioned and equipped with dedicated washrooms.

The final timetable and operational details are expected to be confirmed through a formal notification by the Railway Board, according to officials.

Published – 20 October 2026 16:38 IST