Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced plans to extend the Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express to Bengaluru, connecting the city with coastal Karnataka and Goa. The decision, communicated to two Karnataka MPs earlier this month, aims to address long-standing demands for faster, premium rail services between the region and the capital. The new service will terminate at Yeshwantpur Junction, traversing through Kabaka Puttur and Subrahmanya Road stations, and will be renamed Yeshwantpur-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express. The service will use new train numbers, 26655/26656, and will operate with entirely new timetables, though exact schedules have not been finalised.

The proposed route includes the 55-km electrified ghats section between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road, which will be traversed by the first self-propelled train on this stretch. The service will require two Vande Bharat rakes, mostly 8-car units, equipped with automatic emergency braking systems to operate safely on the ghat section, where speed is capped at 30 kmph. The Railway Ministry conducted trial runs in September, with the train taking less than seven hours to complete the journey between Yesvantpur and Mangaluru Junction. However, the final timetable, including the number of commercial stops, will determine the total running time.

Passengers and local business groups have expressed interest in the service, with demands for reduced travel time. The current proposal suggests a journey of 13 hours between Bengaluru and Goa, which is shorter than the existing 15-hour travel time. However, some stakeholders, including the Pashchima Karavali Railway Yatri Abhivriddhi Samithi, have called for further reductions, aiming for at least 11 hours. They argue that the service should start from Mangaluru in the morning and return by night to accommodate business and official travel needs. Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president P.B. Ahmed Mudassar echoed this sentiment, stressing the importance of a morning departure for those commuting to Bengaluru for work.

Despite the enthusiasm, the commencement date of the extended service remains undetermined. South Western Railway officials have not commented on the matter, and the final timetable has not been officially announced. The service will run with new train numbers, but the exact departure and arrival times are still under review. The Railway Ministry has not provided a timeline for the new service, leaving the public with limited information on when the extension will be operational.

While the extension is seen as a significant development for regional connectivity, several details remain unclear. The exact number of commercial stops, the final timetable, and the commencement date of the service are yet to be confirmed. Additionally, the impact of the new service on existing rail routes and schedules has not been addressed. The Railway Ministry has not responded to inquiries about these details, and no official statement has been released on the matter. As the project moves forward, further updates are expected to clarify the scope and timeline of the new Vande Bharat Express service.