New Vande Bharat Express to connect Bengaluru and Goa via Western Ghats
The Railway Board approved the Yeswantpur-Madgaon service which will operate six days a week via Mangaluru Junction.
The Railway Board approved the introduction of the 26655/26656 Yeswantpur-Madgaon-Yeswantpur Vande Bharat Express on October 30. The service will run via Mangaluru Junction and pass through the Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road section of the Western Ghats.
Train 26655 will depart Yeswantpur at 7.35am and arrive at Madgaon at 8.55pm. The journey will take approximately 13 hours and 20 minutes. The service will operate six days a week, except Wednesdays.
On the return journey, train 26656 will leave Madgaon at 8.20am and reach Yeswantpur at 9.15pm. This trip is scheduled to take around 12 hours and 55 minutes. This service will run six days a week, except Thursdays.
The train will halt at Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road, Karwar and Thokur. Two Vande Bharat rakes will be deployed for the service.
The Railway Board has decided to discontinue the existing 20645/20646 Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express due to low passenger patronage. Officials have not yet announced the launch date or fare structure for the new service.
Separately, a Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper is expected to launch with an inaugural run on November 1. The service is expected to connect the two cities in less than 16 hours.