Union Minister for Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw today flagged off the SMVT Bengaluru-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Express in the presence of Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister Shri H. D. Kumaraswamy, Minister of State for Railways Shri V. Somanna, Minister of State Sushri Shobha Karandlaje and other dignitaries.
Connecting Two Major Economic and Commercial Centres
The new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express will establish an important overnight rail link between Bengaluru, a leading hub for information technology, innovation, education and entrepreneurship, and Mumbai, the country’s financial and commercial capital.
Both metropolitan centres witness substantial movement of professionals, entrepreneurs, students, business travellers and families. The new service will offer passengers an additional convenient travel option, enabling them to undertake long-distance journeys overnight and reach their destination the following day.
The train will connect important stations along its route, including Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Yadgir, Wadi, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan. This will strengthen connectivity across parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, providing improved access to important commercial, educational and regional centres.
The train will depart SMVT Bengaluru at 19:45 hours and arrive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai, at 11:55 hours the following day. In the return direction, it will depart CSMT at 20:10 hours and reach SMVT Bengaluru at 12:00 hours the next day. The service will operate six days a week, except Monday in the Bengaluru-originating direction and Tuesday in the Mumbai-originating direction.
The overnight schedule will allow passengers to make more effective use of their daytime while travelling comfortably between the two metropolitan centres. Passengers from cities and towns along the route will also benefit from an additional modern rail travel option.
The flag-off of the Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper Express marks another important milestone in Indian Railways’ ongoing efforts to transform passenger transportation through modern infrastructure, advanced technology and improved connectivity. Indian Railways remains committed to developing a modern, efficient, safe and passenger-centric transportation network that supports India’s economic growth and connects metropolitan centres with emerging regional hubs.
