Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat would take just 7 hours to travel between the two cities, saving up to 9 hours compared with other express trains; check launch date and stops

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Sunday that the Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express will start within the next few weeks. He said electrification and testing on the route are complete. He said the train will give Mangaluru, Udupi and the coastal belt towards Karwar and Goa world class high speed connectivity.

Bengaluru to Mangaluru Vande Bharat completed its second trial run on September 10, after glitches hit the first run on September 5. The 16-coach rake left Yesvantpur at 6.50 am and reached Mangaluru Junction at 1.55 pm, taking about 7 hours. It was scheduled to arrive at 2.50 pm, so it came in an hour early, according to a NDTV report.

On the way back, the trial left Mangaluru Junction at 2.25 pm and reached Yesvantpur at 9.14 pm. That is 6 hours 49 minutes, against 7 hours 20 minutes allotted. A South Western Railway official called the trial a success. The first trial had lost nearly two hours in the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road ghat section.

KSR Bengaluru-Kannur Express (16511) is the fastest regular train on this route today. According to ixigo, it takes between 9 hours 3 minutes and 9 hours 23 minutes from Yesvantpur to Mangaluru, depending on the station. Against the 7 hour trial time, the Vande Bharat would save over two hours.

Yesvantpur-Karwar Express (16515) leaves Yesvantpur at 7 am and reaches Mangaluru Junction at 4.35 pm, as per Total Train Info. That is 9 hours 35 minutes. Vande Bharat trial covered the same stretch in about 7 hours. That is a saving of around 2 hours 35 minutes.

SMVT Bengaluru-Murudeshwar Express (16585) takes about 12 hours 45 minutes to reach Mangaluru Central. The weekly Yesvantpur-Mangaluru Central Express (16565) takes over 16 hours. Against a 7 hour Vande Bharat, the saving is about 5 hours 45 minutes and 9 hours.

A direct flight between the two cities takes about 1 hour 5 minutes, as per ixigo. So the plane is about six hours quicker than the Vande Bharat trial run. The gap is big, but a train skips airport transfers, check in and security at both ends. Flights cost more than most trains. Cleartrip lists recent lowest one way fares between Rs 4,530 and Rs 4,679. One way fare can be as low as Rs 3,033, with return fares from about Rs 5,119. Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat fare has not been announced.

The launch date, fare and final stops have not been announced yet. The trial plan listed halts at Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road and Kabaka Puttur. The ghat section is the main challenge, since the first trial faced overhead equipment issues there. Passengers will have to wait for the final timetable.