Commercial operations for the new service connecting Bengaluru and Goa via Mangaluru will begin on November 15.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express on November 13, according to reports from Deccan Herald and India TV. The new service will begin regular commercial operations on November 15.
The service will connect Yeshwantpur Junction in Bengaluru with Madgaon station in Goa. Train number 26655 will depart Yeshwantpur at 7.35 am and reach Madgaon at 8.55 pm, though it will not operate on Wednesdays. The return service, train number 26656, will depart Madgaon at 8.20 am and arrive at Yeshwantpur at 9.15 pm, with no operations on Thursdays.
Stoppages for the train include Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road, and Karwar. The total journey time will be approximately 13 hours.
The South Western Railway (SWR) will use two rakes of 16 coaches each for the route. With the introduction of this service, the existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express (20645/20646) will be discontinued in both directions from November 15.
Two inaugural special trains will run on November 13. Special train 06512 will depart SMVT Bengaluru at 1.30 pm to reach Madgaon at 2.55 am, while special train 06213 will depart Mangaluru Junction at 1.30 pm to arrive at SMVT Bengaluru at 9 pm.
