Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Launched!
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flags off the Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper, connecting tech and finance hubs in 16 hours.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw officially flagged off the highly anticipated Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper service today, November 1, 2026. The inaugural ceremony took place at the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) in Bengaluru, coinciding with the celebration of Karnataka Rajyotsava.
This landmark service marks India’s second Vande Bharat Sleeper train, following the successful launch of the Howrah–Kamakhya route. Operated by the South Western Railway (SWR), this new addition aims to provide premium, high-speed overnight connectivity between India's major technology and financial hubs.
Premium Comfort and Capacity
The new service is designed to traverse the 1,118 km distance between SMVT Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai in approximately 16 hours. To ensure a high-end travel experience, the train features 16 fully air-conditioned coaches with a total capacity of 823 berths. The coach configuration includes:
- 11 AC 3-Tier coaches
- 4 AC 2-Tier coaches
- 1 First Class AC coach
Schedule and Key Stops
The inaugural special train, numbered 06503, departed Bengaluru at 12:15 hrs today and is scheduled to reach CSMT Mumbai at 06:15 hrs on November 2, 2026. Once the regular service (Train No. 27652/27651) becomes operational, it will run six days a week.
The train will provide scheduled stops at several key stations, including:
- Hindupur
- Dharmavaram
- Anantapur
- Guntakal
- Raichur
- Krishna
- Yadgir
- Kalaburagi
- Solapur
- Pune
- Kalyan
Star-Studded Inauguration Ceremony
The flag-off ceremony was attended by several prominent Union Ministers. Among the dignitaries present were Minister of Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy, and Minister of Education, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi. Also in attendance were Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti V. Somanna and Minister of State for MSME, Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje.