New Vande Bharat train to connect Bengaluru, Goa
A new Vande Bharat Express between Bengaluru (Yesvantpur) and Goa (Madgaon) is in the works, thanks to a joint proposal from South Western Railway (SWR), Southern Railway, and Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL).
If approved, this train will run six days a week and could slightly reduce travel time from the current 13.5-15 hours journey to about 13-13 hours 10 minutes, with average speeds potentially below 50km/h and dropping to around 30km/h in ghat sections.
Proposed schedule for the new train
The plan is for the train to leave Yesvantpur at 6:05am with stops at Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, and Padil before reaching Madgaon at 7:15pm.
The return trip starts from Madgaon at 5:30am and arrives back in Bengaluru by 6:40pm.
The Railway Board has suggested reviewing the departure timing and recommended starting after 6:30am.
Average speeds on the route
Even though Vande Bharat trains can hit speeds up to 160km/h, this route's tough Western Ghats terrain means average speeds will stay below 50km/h—sometimes dropping to just 30km/h on steep stretches.
On flatter sections like Chikka Banawara-Hassan, they're aiming for up to 130km/h.
Train sets and approval needed for launch
It all depends on getting enough train sets ("rakes") and final approval from the Railway Board.
If it gets the green light, this could be a game-changer for anyone traveling between Bengaluru and Goa—think shorter trips for holidays or quick getaways!