Full Breakdown
Extension of the Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express to Bengaluru
By Drooid · · How we work
Background and Prior Proposals
The Mangaluru Central–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express has run since December 31 2023, covering the 5-hour-30-minute route. Demand for a premium service linking Karnataka’s capital with the coastal region dates back to February 2025, when South Western Railway, Konkan Railway Corporation Limited and Southern Railway proposed a Bengaluru-Goa run originating at Yeshwantpur. The proposal was revived after the Hassan-Mangaluru ghat section was fully electrified.
Operational Details and Timetable
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the existing train will be extended to Yeshwantpur (Bengaluru) with new numbers 26655/26656. A trial on September 10 covered the Yesvantpur-Mangaluru segment in 7 hours 5 minutes (down) and 6 hours 49 minutes (up). The tentative schedule, disclosed in a letter dated September 28, calls for a 6:05 a.m. departure from Yeshwantpur and a 7:15 p.m. arrival at Madgaon, a total of roughly 13 hours—shorter than the current 15-hour Bengaluru-Goa services. The Railways plan to use two 8-car rakes equipped with automatic emergency braking, with speed limited to 30 km/h on the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya ghat.
Official Statements & Responses
Minister Vaishnaw wrote to MPs Captain Brijesh Chowta, Kota Srinivas Poojary and Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri confirming the extension and the new train numbers. He indicated that the service will become the first self-propelled train to traverse the newly electrified 55-km ghats between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road. Railway officials have not set a final commencement date.
Local Stakeholder Feedback
Business leaders and commuter groups have urged a morning departure from Mangaluru to maximise productivity. G. Hanumanth Kamath, president of the Pashchima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi, and P.B. Ahmed Mudassar of the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry both advocated a 6 a.m. start, arguing that a night return would prevent loss of a full working day for travelers. They also emphasized the need for the schedule to prioritize business commuters over tourist traffic.