Suryaa National Desk: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw officially launched the new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express connecting Bengaluru and Mumbai on Sunday. The inauguration ceremony took place at the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru. Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi, H.D. Kumaraswamy, V. Somanna, and Shobha Karandlaje, along with several Members of Parliament and public representatives, attended the event.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the launch of the Vande Bharat Sleeper service marks a milestone for long-distance travel in the country. He noted that the train features an advanced design prioritizing passenger safety and comfort, including special facilities for loco pilots, accessible upper berths, and amenities for passengers with disabilities. He expressed hope that this overnight train will significantly reduce travel time between the two cities.
The train has a total capacity of 823 passengers. It includes eleven AC 3-tier coaches with a capacity of 611 seats, four AC 2-tier coaches with 158 seats, and one First AC coach with 24 seats. Operated by the South Western Railway, the service will run six days a week.
Train number 27652 will depart from Bengaluru at 7:45 PM and arrive in Mumbai at 11:55 AM the following day. The return service, train number 27651, will depart from Mumbai at 8:10 PM and reach Bengaluru at 12:00 PM the next day.
The central government stated that over 52,000 crore rupees have been spent on railway projects in Karnataka over the last five years. Officials highlighted that out of 14,000 railway overbridges constructed nationwide, more than 900 were built in Karnataka. The launch of this new Vande Bharat Sleeper train is expected to facilitate travel for the IT sector and business community.
