Bengaluru-Goa Vande Bharat service may disrupt 13 existing train schedules
The new service is expected to affect nearly 15,000 regular commuters due to priority given to the train in the ghat section.
The proposed Vande Bharat Express service between Yeshwantpur and Madgaon could impact the schedules of 13 existing trains, according to reports by The Times of India cited by Mint and The Economic Times. While the new service is intended for 1,100 passengers, nearly 15,000 regular travellers may face inconveniences as the new train is given priority through the ghat section.
The service will pass through a 55-km electrified stretch between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road, where a speed limit of 30 kmph is currently in place due to terrain and safety. The train is expected to become operational by the third week of November, though an exact date has not been finalised.
Train No. 16576 Mangaluru Junction-Yeshwantpur Gomteshwara Express is expected to see its arrival in Bengaluru shift from 4.30 pm to 10.15 pm. Dakshina Kannada MP Captain Brijesh Chowta has opposed this change in a letter to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, stating the current daytime schedule is convenient for students, professionals, and patients.
Other affected services include the 16516 Karwar-Yeshwantpur Express, which may arrive 85 minutes later at 10.15 pm, and the 22679 Yeshwantpur-Hassan Superfast Express, which may see average speeds fall below 55 kmph. Other trains on the corridor may face delays of 10 to 25 minutes.
The Bengaluru-Goa Vande Bharat will run six days a week, with no service on Wednesdays for the Yeshwantpur-Madgaon leg and no service on Thursdays for the return. Following the launch, the existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express will be discontinued, and IRCTC has stopped accepting reservations for it from November 29.