Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday welcomed the launch of the Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper train, calling it “another step towards better rail connectivity” and saying the service would be a “game changer” for connectivity between the two cities.
In a post on X, Modi said the new train would benefit Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, particularly youngsters, IT professionals and students.
The Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper was flagged off by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw from Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) in Bengaluru on Sunday. The inaugural special departed at 12:15 pm and is scheduled to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai at 6:15 am on Monday.
The regular service will begin from Mumbai
on November 2, while the Bengaluru-Mumbai service will start on November 3. The train will operate six days a week, with no service from Bengaluru on Mondays and from Mumbai on Tuesdays.
Another step towards better rail connectivity and that too from Bengaluru, the city of technology and innovation!
The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train will be a game changer for connectivity between Bengaluru and Mumbai.
This train will benefit Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, especially benefitting youngsters, IT professionals and students.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 1, 2026
Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Timings
Train number 27652 will leave SMVT Bengaluru at 7:45 pm and reach CSMT Mumbai at 11:55 am the following day, covering the journey in around 16 hours and 10 minutes.
On the return journey, train number 27651 will depart CSMT Mumbai at 8:10 pm and reach SMVT Bengaluru at 12 noon the next day, taking around 15 hours and 50 minutes.
The train will halt at Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan on its regular route.
The 16-coach sleeper train has First AC, Second AC and Third AC accommodation. It is expected to bring the travel time between Bengaluru and Mumbai down to about 16 hours, compared with roughly 22 hours or more taken by several existing services on the route.
The launch gives passengers an overnight rail option between Bengaluru, a major IT and startup hub, and Mumbai, India’s financial centre, while also improving connectivity for cities across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
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