Mumbai, Oct. 8 -- Indian Railways has decided to extend the existing Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express to Yesvantpur in Bengaluru, creating a direct rail connection between the city, coastal Karnataka and Goa. The extended service will travel through Hassan, Mangaluru, Udupi and Karwar before terminating at Madgaon.
The extension was confirmed by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a letter shared by Mandya MP HD Kumaraswamy. Kumaraswamy had sought a Bengaluru-Madgaon service, citing the route's relevance to passenger travel, tourism, education and business activity.
Following the change, the train will operate as Train Nos. 26655 and 26656 Yesvantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express. The Railway has also revised the service's timings, although the available announcement does not provide the updated departure and arrival schedules.
The train will allow passengers from Bengaluru to travel directly to Mangaluru, Udupi, Karwar and Madgaon without changing services. It will also provide passengers in coastal Karnataka with a direct connection to Bengaluru, improving access between the state's interior, coastal belt and Goa.
The extended route is expected to support travel for work, education, tourism and other purposes. Kumaraswamy said the connection would strengthen movement between Bengaluru, coastal Karnataka and Goa, while also supporting tourism and business-related travel. By extending the existing Mangaluru-Madgaon service rather than introducing a separate route, the Railway is bringing Bengaluru into an established Vande Bharat corridor covering several important destinations across the region.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.