Bengaluru–Goa Vande Bharat likely to start November 13: route, stops, timings

Planning a Bengaluru-to-Goa trip by rail? A new option is almost here. The Ministry of Railways is likely to launch the Bengaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express on Friday, November 13, a senior railway official said.

What's the plan? 🚆

The semi-high-speed train will run between Yesvantpur (in Bengaluru) and Madgaon (Goa) via Mangaluru Junction. It was built by BEML using technology from Chennai's Integral Coach Factory (ICF, which designs Indian passenger coaches).

The trains will run as numbers 26655 and 26656. The whole journey takes around 13 hours and 20 minutes.

Which stops and what timings?

The train will halt at 12 stations: Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar.

Train 26655 leaves Yesvantpur at 07:35 and reaches Madgaon at 20:55. It runs six days a week, every day except Wednesday.

On the way back, train 26656 leaves Madgaon at 08:20 and arrives in Yesvantpur at 21:15. It runs every day except Thursday.

Why is this possible now?

The Bengaluru–Mangaluru route, including the tricky Ghat (hill) section, was fully electrified in December 2025. Work began in December 2023 and included five switching stations and a complete overhead wire system. An electric locomotive trial ran on December 28, 2025.

At that time, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, "Now we will be able to run Vande Bharat train through this route to Mangaluru." The Railway Board approved the Yesvantpur–Madgaon service on October 30, 2026.

Will people actually use it?

The coast has form here. The Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Vande Bharat had the highest occupancy of any Vande Bharat service in FY 2025–26. Its Thiruvananthapuram-to-Mangaluru run (train 20632) hit 189.35 per cent, and the return (train 20631) recorded 174.77 per cent.

The launch date is still described as "likely", so keep an eye out for the official confirmation before you book.