The train will traverse the Konkan route and take around 13 hours to reach its destination in Goa, providing another semi-high-speed rail connection between Karnataka and the coastal state. Karnataka is set to receive another Vande Bharat Express later this month, connecting Bengaluru and Madgaon in Goa via Mangaluru.
The railway ministry notified the introduction of train numbers 26655/26656 on Saturday.
Railway officials said the new Vande Bharat service could be flagged off in the third week of November, although an exact date is yet to be finalised. The service will operate from Yeshwantpur, connecting several important towns and coastal destinations along the route.
The Bengaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express will have 12 stoppages, covering important towns, pilgrimage centres and coastal destinations. Despite having the capacity to travel at higher speeds, safety restrictions will limit the semi-high-speed express to just 30 kmph while covering the 55 km stretch. The train will halt at Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakaleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar before reaching Madgaon in Goa.
Earlier reporting noted: However, speed restrictions will continue to be active along the electrified ghat section between Sakaleshpura and Subrahmanya Road.
Here’s how the new Bengaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat will operate, its 12 stoppages, timings, travel duration and speed restrictions along the Konkan route
The new Vande Bharat Express will operate six days a week from Yeshwantpur, departing at 7.35am on all days except Wednesdays. In the return direction, the train will originate from Madgaon at 8.20am and reach Yeshwantpur by 9.15pm. IRCTC has already stopped accepting ticket reservations for the existing service from November 29, indicating that the new train will replace the current service as part of the revised Vande Bharat operations on the route. The Vande Bharat Express will be restricted to 30 kmph while covering the 55-km stretch.
The service will not operate from Madgaon on Thursdays, with the weekly operational schedule designed to connect Bengaluru with Goa through the Konkan railway route. With the introduction of the new Bengaluru-Madgaon service, the railways will discontinue the existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express. The Bengaluru-Mangaluru route, one of Karnataka’s high-footfall railway corridors, is expected to benefit from the introduction of the new Vande Bharat service. The train will cover the distance to Mangaluru in less than eight hours, making it faster than any other train currently operating on the route. The service is expected to provide passengers with a quicker connection between Bengaluru and the coastal region. Despite the train’s capacity to operate at higher speeds, safety restrictions will continue along the electrified ghat section between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road. Meanwhile, Kabaka Puttur has been added as a stoppage following persistent passenger demand. During the initial trial, South Western Railway had not planned a halt at the station, but the demand from passengers led to its approval.
