Vande Bharat sleeper flagged off between Bengaluru and Mumbai, with a stop at Pune

A new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express for overnight travel between Bengaluru and Mumbai was flagged off on Sunday from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVB) in Bengaluru, starting a new rail service between the two metropolises. The train has eight stops on the way, and Pune is one of them.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the 16-coach train. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, Shobha Karandlaje and V. Somanna were also present.

The train will cover the distance of about 1,118 km between Bengaluru and Mumbai in around 16 hours. It will run six days a week. It will not run from Bengaluru on Mondays, and it will not operate from Mumbai on Tuesdays.

The train will stop at Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan. The route will link several important cities of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

At the flag-off, Vaishnaw said the train would connect Bengaluru, the country's IT and startup hub, with Mumbai, the country's financial capital. He also said the route passes through parts of north Karnataka that earlier did not have a world-class train service.

As per the schedule, Train No. 27651 will leave Mumbai CSMT at 8.10 pm and reach Pune at 11.40 pm. After a five-minute halt, it will leave Pune at 11.45 pm and reach Bengaluru at 12 noon the next day.

On the return journey, Train No. 27652 will leave Bengaluru at 7.45 pm and reach Pune at 8 am the next day. It will leave Pune at 8.05 am and reach Mumbai CSMT at 11.55 am.

Regular service from Mumbai to Bengaluru will begin on November 2, and from Bengaluru to Mumbai on November 3. The train from Mumbai will not run on Tuesdays and the train from Bengaluru will not run on Mondays.

Designed for long-distance overnight travel, the Vande Bharat sleeper train has sleeper berths, advanced safety systems and a number of passenger amenities.

The train has an under-slung propulsion system, regenerative braking and an aerodynamic design. Its stainless-steel body conforms to the EN15227 crash safety standard. It also has sealed flexible gangways, automatic sliding plug doors, noise insulation and LED lighting.

For passenger safety, the train is fitted with a Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), CCTV cameras, smoke and fire detection systems, fire barrier doors and emergency alarm buttons. It also has disaster management lighting.

The toilets are of ergonomic design with vacuum evacuation. There are separate berths and toilets for passengers with disabilities, and open space for luggage.

For charging, passengers will get three-pin sockets, Type-A and Type-C USB ports, Wi-Fi and a passenger information and communication system. The First AC coach also has a hot-water shower. The train additionally has sensor-operated intercommunication doors, an air-conditioned driver's cabin and a separate toilet for the crew.

With 16 coaches in all, the service will let passengers travelling between Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru sleep through the night in a sleeper berth.