The new service will connect Bengaluru with coastal Karnataka and Goa via 12 intermediate stops.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw are likely to flag off the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express on November 13, according to reports by News18 and The Hindu.
The inaugural services are expected to be launched simultaneously, with the Prime Minister flagging off the train from Bengaluru and the Railway Minister launching the service from Mangaluru Junction at approximately 2.30 pm.
The new service will operate under train numbers 26655 and 26656, extending the existing Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express. While the inaugural service may involve Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, regular operations are expected to run from Yeshwantpur.
The train will have 12 intermediate halts, including Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road, and Karwar.
According to the timetable, train 26655 will depart Yeshwantpur at 7.35 am and reach Madgaon at 8.55 pm, except on Wednesdays. The return service, 26656, will leave Madgaon at 8.20 am and arrive in Yeshwantpur at 9.15 pm, except on Thursdays.
The launch is expected to coincide with the Prime Minister's visit to Bengaluru to dedicate the 7.5-km Namma Metro Pink Line stretch between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere.
