Proposed Mumbai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat sleeper may cut Pune-Bengaluru travel time

If the proposed Mumbai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat sleeper express starts as stated, passengers in Pune could get a fast overnight train to Bengaluru. A trial run of the train was recently held on the Mumbai-Pune route. Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna has named November 1 as the likely start date. Travel time on the route is therefore likely to come down.

Trains currently running take about 22 hours from Mumbai to Bengaluru. The new train could cover the distance in about 16 to 18 hours. For those boarding at Pune, the journey to Bengaluru could take an estimated 12 to 15 hours. This depends, however, on the final timetable and the arrangements for running the train.

The train will give people travelling between Maharashtra and Karnataka one more option for overnight travel. However, the final timetable, the exact stops and the travel times have not yet been officially announced.

The train is expected to run via Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan. If a stop at Pune is confirmed, local passengers will not have to go to Mumbai to board it.

According to preliminary estimates, if the train leaves Mumbai at about 10.30 pm, it would reach Pune at about 1.50 am. It could then proceed towards Bengaluru and arrive there at about 2.50 pm the next day.

In the opposite direction, the train could leave Bengaluru at about 10 pm. It would reach Pune at about 10.35 am the next day and Mumbai at about 1.50 pm. These timings are only estimates and should not be taken as the railways' firm timetable.

The proposed train will have 16 coaches: 11 three-tier AC, four two-tier AC and one first-class AC coach. Total capacity is about 823 berths, giving passengers a place to sleep on long journeys.

The sleeper design is meant to make overnight travel more convenient for those who go between Pune and Bengaluru for work or other reasons.

The railway administration has not yet announced the final ticket fares, when reservations will open, or exactly where the train will stop. The actual travel time and the Pune stop will have to be checked against the official timetable when it is issued.

Until these details are firm, the proposed train is a possible new option for Pune-Bengaluru passengers, offering shorter travel time and sleeping berths overnight.