Bengaluru gets direct Vande Bharat connectivity to Goa via Mangaluru, Udupi & Karwar

Rail connectivity between Bengaluru, coastal Karnataka and Goa received a major boost with the extension of the existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express to Bengaluru via Hassan, Udupi and Karwar.

The move follows Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy urging Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to introduce a Vande Bharat service connecting Bengaluru and Madgaon through Hassan, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi and Karwar. In his representation, Kumaraswamy highlighted the growing importance of the corridor for tourists, pilgrims, students and professionals, while stressing the need for stronger links between Bengaluru and the commercial, port and tourism hubs of coastal Karnataka and Goa.

Responding to the proposal, Vaishnaw informed Kumaraswamy that the existing Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express has been extended up to Bengaluru along the same route. The service will now operate as Train Nos. 26655/26656 Yesvantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express with revised timings.


The extension creates a Vande Bharat corridor linking Bengaluru with key destinations across coastal Karnataka and providing seamless connectivity to Madgaon in Goa. It also addresses rising passenger demand on the Bengaluru-coastal Karnataka-Goa route, which serves a diverse mix of leisure, pilgrimage, educational and business travellers.

Kumaraswamy had requested South Western Railway to examine the feasibility of the service and initiate the required administrative process. He had also argued that improved rail connectivity would boost tourism, support regional economic activity and strengthen inter-state links.

In a letter on September 28, Vaishnaw referred to Kumaraswamy's earlier letter and conveyed the decision to extend the Madgaon-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express to Bengaluru via Hassan, Udupi and Karwar.

The extended service is expected to improve travel convenience for passengers commuting between Bengaluru, Hassan, Mangaluru, Udupi, Karwar and Madgaon. It will further strengthen connectivity between Karnataka and Goa while enhancing access to key commercial centres, ports and tourist destinations along the western coast, Kumaraswamy said in a statement. "This improved connectivity system will not only provide convenience to passengers but will also further boost tourism, regional economic activities, and inter-state linkages," he posted on X.