Bengaluru–Mumbai sleeper approved

Indian Railways has approved a Vande Bharat Sleeper train between KSR Bengaluru and Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, adding an overnight service on one of India’s busiest intercity corridors. (indianexpress.com) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw conveyed the approval in an April 5, 2026 letter to Bengaluru Central member of Parliament P. C. Mohan, and Mohan made the decision public on April 11. (thehindu.com) The train is expected to cut the Bengaluru–Mumbai journey to about 16 to 18 hours from roughly 22 hours on current services, though South Western Railway has not yet announced the timetable, route, or launch date. (hindustantimes.com) The service will run under South Western Railway, linking KSR Bengaluru with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, the main central Mumbai terminus used by long-distance trains. (thehindu.com) Vande Bharat Sleeper is the overnight version of India’s semi-high-speed trainset: it uses sealed, fully air-conditioned coaches with berths instead of chair-car seating for daytime trips. (news18.com) Reports on the sleeper trainset say it has 16 coaches and capacity for 823 passengers across air-conditioned First Class, Two Tier, and Three Tier classes, along with automatic doors, closed vestibules, and the Kavach train-protection system. (inshorts.com) This will be India’s second Vande Bharat Sleeper route after the Howrah–Kamakhya service, whose commercial operations began in January 2026. (news18.com) The Bengaluru–Mumbai approval also fits a wider railway rollout plan: recent reports said Indian Railways aims to introduce 12 sleeper rakes by December 2026 as it expands premium overnight services beyond the first corridor. (ndtv.com) For passengers, the immediate change is only administrative: the train has ministerial clearance, but fares, stoppages, and the first departure date are still pending. (thehindu.com)