New Vande Bharat Express to connect Bengaluru with Goa via Konkan coast: Why it's the slowest

Bengaluru will soon get a new Vande Bharat Express to Madgaon in Goa, taking passengers on a 670 km journey through the Western Ghats and the Konkan coast. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Bengaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express on November 13, Friday, with regular services set to begin on November 15.

Covering 670 km in 13 hours and 20 minutes, the train will be the country's longest Vande Bharat chair car service. It will have 12 intermediate stops and operate from Yesvantpur on all days except Wednesday. The return service from Madgaon will run on all days except Thursday.

The 16-coach train can accommodate 1,128 passengers and will take seven and a half hours to reach Mangaluru from Bengaluru. The service is an extension of the existing Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express to Yesvantpur. Despite demands to extend the existing service to Kozhikode, South Western Railway rejected the proposal, opting instead to extend it to Bengaluru, with Yesvantpur serving as its maintenance base.

Flag-off to be held online
Modi will flag off the train online during the inauguration of Namma Metro's Pink Line at the auditorium of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore on Bannerghatta Road.

The inaugural train will leave Baiyappanahalli's Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) at 1.30 pm and reach Madgaon at 2.55 am the next day. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will flag off the second train at Mangaluru Central station at 1.30 pm on the same day. It will reach SMVT Bengaluru at 9 pm.

Slowest Vande Bharat in the country
Despite covering the longest route, the Bengaluru-Madgaon service will be the slowest Vande Bharat train in the country. Its maximum speed will be 54 kmph, dropping below 30 kmph along the steep ghat section between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road. The train will use coaches fitted with an Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) system to ensure safe operations through the challenging ghat terrain.

Longer route, steeper fares
Though the final fares are yet to be announced, passengers may have to shell out around Rs 200 more for a chair car ticket compared with other Vande Bharat services. The additional cost for executive chair car travel could be as high as Rs 300. Konkan Railway Corporation charges up to 40% more for passenger trains covering longer stretches of the Konkan route. Consequently, although the actual distance between Bengaluru and Madgaon is 670 km, fares will be calculated for a distance of 844 km.

Through the Ghats, along the Konkan coast
The new service promises passengers a scenic journey through Karnataka's high ranges and coastal belt. The route offers views of the rich biodiversity and waterfalls of the Western Ghats, besides the tunnels and rivers along the Konkan railway stretch. Currently, Vistadome coaches are available on the Yesvantpur-Karwar Express operating along this route.

The train will also improve connectivity to major pilgrimage centres, including Shravanabelagola, Kukke Subrahmanya, Udupi, Mookambika, Murudeshwar and Gokarna. Coastal destinations such as Karwar and Madgaon in Goa will also be connected. Pilgrims visiting the Mookambika temple can alight at Baindur Road station. 

Timetable and stops
Yesvantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat (26655): Operates on all days except Wednesday. The train will depart from Yesvantpur at 7.35 am and reach Madgaon at 8.55 pm.

Stops
Shravanabelagola: 9.03 am, Hassan: 9.38 am, Sakleshpur: 10.20 am, Subrahmanya Road: 12.40 pm, Kabakaputtur: 1.25 pm, Mangaluru Junction: 3.05 pm, Udupi: 4.20 pm, Kundapura: 4.38 pm, Mookambika Road Baindur: 5.20 pm, Murudeshwar: 6 pm, Gokarna Road: 7 pm, Karwar: 7.45 pm

Madgaon-Mangaluru-Yesvantpur Vande Bharat (26656): Operates on all days except Thursday. The train will depart from Madgaon at 8.20 am and reach Yesvantpur at 9.15 pm.

Stops
Karwar: 9.03 am, Gokarna Road: 9.48 am, Murudeshwar: 11 am, Mookambika Road Baindur: 11.20 am, Kundapura: 11.48 am, Udupi: 12.18 pm, Mangaluru Junction: 1.50 pm, Kabakaputtur: 2.43 pm, Subrahmanya Road: 3.28 pm, Sakleshpur: 5.30 pm, Hassan: 6.13 pm, Shravanabelagola: 6.43 pm