Vande Bharat sleeper approved
Railway authorities have approved a Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper service, and reports say the Pune–Bengaluru leg could fall to about 13 hours versus roughly 18–19 hours on existing overnight trains. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) (hindustantimes.com)
Indian Railways has approved a Vande Bharat sleeper train between Bengaluru and Mumbai, with the full timetable, stops and launch date still pending. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the approval in an April 5, 2026 letter to Bengaluru Central member of Parliament P. C. Mohan, saying the service will run between KSR Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. (ndtv.com) Reports say the train is likely to follow the Udyan Express corridor through Pune, Solapur, Kalaburagi, Raichur and Guntakal. The Times of India said railway sources expect a Bengaluru–Mumbai trip of about 16 to 17 hours. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) For Pune passengers, the biggest change is on the southbound leg. Hindustan Times reported the Pune–Bengaluru run could drop to about 13 hours, compared with about 18 hours 15 minutes on Udyan Express and about 19 hours 20 minutes on Coimbatore Express. (msn.com) The route is one of the country’s busiest overnight rail links, and Udyan Express has been its main train since 1983. The Times of India said Udyan Express takes more than 22 hours to cover the 1,139-kilometre trip between Mumbai and Bengaluru. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com) The new service is not expected to replace Udyan Express. Central Railway chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila told The Indian Express that the launch date and final travel time have not yet been finalised. (indianexpress.com) This train is part of a wider sleeper rollout under the Vande Bharat brand. NDTV reported that the government plans to introduce 12 new sleeper rakes by December 2026, after the first Vande Bharat sleeper service began running between Kamakhya and Howrah in January 2026. (ndtv.com) The sleeper version is built for overnight trips rather than daytime chair-car runs. A Press Information Bureau release said the 16-coach trainset is designed with First AC, Second AC and Third AC classes. (pib.gov.in) The next concrete step is the operating plan. Railways still has to publish the schedule, confirm the halts and decide when the Bengaluru–Mumbai sleeper will enter service. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)
