Vande Bharat sleeper train between Mumbai and Bengaluru flagged off by Railway Minister Vaishnaw

A Vande Bharat sleeper train connecting Mumbai and Bengaluru has begun running, bringing relief to rail passengers travelling between the two cities.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the train from Bengaluru on Sunday, November 1. The 16-coach train has modern amenities and uses new technology.

The inaugural run began from Bengaluru's Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT). It will reach Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) at 6.15 am on Monday. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and H. D. Kumaraswamy, Ministers of State V. Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje, and MPs Tejasvi Surya, P. C. Mohan and C. N. Manjunath were present at the inaugural function.

Regular service will start from Bengaluru on November 2 and from Mumbai on November 3. The Bengaluru-Mumbai train (No. 27652) will leave SMVT Bengaluru at 7.45 pm and reach CSMT at 11.55 am the next day. It will run six days a week, except Monday.

The Mumbai-Bengaluru train (No. 27651) will leave CSMT at 8.10 pm and reach SMVT Bengaluru at 12 noon the next day. It will run six days a week, except Tuesday.

The train will stop at eight stations on the way: Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan. Passengers in both Maharashtra and Karnataka will benefit from the new service.

After the inauguration, Vaishnaw spoke about the train's features. Special arrangements have been made for climbing to the middle and upper berths. The engine also has a separate toilet for the loco pilot.

State-of-the-art couplers have been fitted between coaches so that passengers do not feel jerks during the journey. The propulsion system and the bogie design have also been improved in view of passenger experience and technical requirements.

Emphasis has also been laid on making the train easier for passengers with disabilities. The Railway Minister said the final design was fixed only after people with different disabilities tested the train's design.

Vaishnaw also said India's Vande Bharat chair car and sleeper trains are moving towards international standards, and that India aims to begin exporting Vande Bharat trains in the next three to four years.

The sleeper train, launched between two important cities like Mumbai and Bengaluru, is expected to make long overnight journeys more comfortable.