Mumbai, April 12 -- The city is set to get a Vande Bharat Sleeper train connecting Mumbai to Bengaluru after railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw gave a go ahead for the premium semi-high-speed service earlier this week. According to railway officials the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has been asked to make arrangements for serving hot meals onboard, as the journey is likely to take 16 to 18 hours. This will be the second Vande Bharat Sleeper route after the 950-km Howrah-Kamakhya corridor, flagged off in January this year. On April 5, Vaishnaw confirmed the approval in a reply to member of parliament PC Mohan. "You would be pleased to know that the introduction of a new Vande Bharat Sleeper train between KSR Bengaluru and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus has been approved," reads the letter by Vaishnaw. The train is expected to significantly improve overnight travel between Mumbai and Bengaluru, two of India's key economic hubs. It is likely to be operated and maintained by the South Western Railway (SWR) zone. Developed by Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) using technology from Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the details of the orange-and-grey train's 1,140-km route is yet to be planned. "At this point, the tentative route planned is from Mumbai via Pune, Solapur, Wadi, Kalburgi till Bengaluru. Other details like the probable time taken, fares are yet to be finalised," said a CR official. Currently, mail and express trains take about 20 to 22 hours to travel from Mumbai to Bengaluru, however, the new train is expected to cut travel time considerably. Officials added that the train will not have a Reservation Against Cancellation (RAC) system, to prevent overcrowding. The train will feature airline-like interiors, including ergonomic berths, sensor-based lighting, modern toilets and improved soundproofing for a quieter ride. The 16-coach train will offer 823 berths across AC 3-tier, AC 2-tier and first class AC coaches. The railways plans to ramp up production, with around 12 Vande Bharat Sleeper trains expected to be introduced by the end of the year....