Vande Bharat trains record high occupancy in FY26
The Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru service recorded the highest occupancy at 189.35 per cent, according to The Indian Express.
Vande Bharat Chair Car trains recorded an overall occupancy of 99.10 per cent in the 2025-26 financial year, a senior Railway Board official told The Indian Express. The Thiruvananthapuram Central-Mangaluru Central service saw the highest occupancy during this period.
The official stated that train number 20632, running from Thiruvananthapuram Central to Mangaluru Central, registered an occupancy of 189.35 per cent. Its counterpart, train number 20631 from Mangaluru Central to Thiruvananthapuram Central, recorded 174.77 per cent occupancy.
The country's first Vande Bharat Sleeper service, which operates between Howrah and Kamakhya, registered a consolidated occupancy of 114.54 per cent during the same financial year. This service was launched in January 2026.
Regarding Chair Car services, the Varanasi to New Delhi train number 22415 recorded 117.26 per cent occupancy, while its return service 22416 recorded 114.05 per cent. Train number 22435 from Varanasi to New Delhi recorded 117.25 per cent, and its return service 22436 recorded 115.19 per cent.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Sunday that a second Vande Bharat Sleeper train will run from Bengaluru. This service will connect Bengaluru with Pune and Mumbai via Hubballi.