BENGALURU: The Vande Bharat Express linking Bengaluru with coastal Karnataka and Goa will be flagged off on November 13, with South Western Railway confirming that the regular service begins on November 15.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is expected to attend the launch in Mangaluru, marking his first visit to the region, and travel on the inaugural run up to Subrahmanya Road. However, reports differed on the flag-off arrangements, with one stating that Vaishnaw would flag off the train from Mangaluru Junction at noon, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi would join virtually. Other reports said the Prime Minister would flag off the service.
Two inaugural specials will run on Friday. Train 06512 leaves SMVT Bengaluru at 1:30 pm and reaches Madgaon at 2:55 am the next day, while 06213 departs Mangaluru Junction at 1:30 pm and arrives at SMVT Bengaluru at 9 pm. Both will use 16-car rakes with Executive Chair and Chair Car accommodation.
The commercial service, numbered 26655 and 26656, will connect Yesvantpur with Madgaon. Train 26655 will depart Yesvantpur at 7.35 am, reach Mangaluru Junction at 3:05 pm and arrive in Madgaon at 8.55 pm. It will remain cancelled on Wednesdays. The return service, 26656, will leave Madgaon at 8:20 am, reach Mangaluru Junction at 3:50 pm and arrive at Yesvantpur at 9:15 pm, with no service on Thursdays (November 12).
The trains will halt at Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road and Kabaka Puttur, as well as Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar.
The Yesvantpur–Mangaluru Junction journey is expected to take around 7 hours and 30 minutes, cutting travel time by approximately 90 minutes compared to the fastest existing train. However, the Mangaluru–Madgaon stretch will take about an hour longer than the current Vande Bharat service, taking the total journey time to 13 hours. One report described this duration as lengthy for a seater service.
South Western Railway will discontinue the existing 20645/20646 Madgaon–Mangaluru Central Vande Bharat service in both directions from November 15, Chief Public Relations Officer Manjunath Kanamadi said.
In Udupi district, Vaishnaw is to inspect Udupi station at 8:45 am, visit the Sri Krishna Mutt at 9 am and, in his capacity as Information and Broadcasting Minister, open a new FM station near Ajjarkad at 10 am. In Mangaluru he will hold a review meeting at the Deputy Commissioner's office at 10:30 am and inspect Mangaluru Central station. At Subrahmanya he is to formally open the 55-km ghat section between Subrahmanya Road and Sakleshpur, which has just been electrified, along with the station building at Subrahmanya Road that has been redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Dakshina Kannada MP Brijesh Chowta said the service should shorten the journey between Bengaluru and Mangaluru and boost business, tourism and other commercial activity.
(With inputs from media reports)