The Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper train is scheduled to begin operations with an inaugural special service on November 1, reducing travel time between the two commercial cities to about 16 hours. South Western Railway officials said the inaugural run would coincide with Karnataka Rajyotsava Day, while the regular timetable would be announced later.

The train, numbered 27651/652, is planned to operate daily in both directions. It is scheduled to leave Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai at 8.10 pm and reach Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru at 11.55 am the following day. In the reverse direction, it is scheduled to depart from SMVT Bengaluru at 7.50 pm and arrive at CSMT at 11.55 am the next morning.

The 16-coach service is proposed to stop at Dharmavaram, Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Wadi, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan. Final operating arrangements and the regular timetable are expected to be issued by the railway authorities after the inaugural service. The launch was initially targeted for October but was postponed amid elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council.

The service is expected to reduce journey time compared with the existing Udyan Express, which takes about 24 hours between Bengaluru and Mumbai. Udyan Express has been the principal rail link between the cities for around four decades, while passengers have sought a faster connection. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had previously announced plans for a Vande Bharat service on the route, and in April informed Bengaluru Central MP P.C. Mohan that approval had been granted for a sleeper service.

The choice of Bengaluru terminal remains an operational issue. Although the inaugural service will run from KSR Bengaluru to Mumbai, current information indicates that regular trains will operate from SMVT Bengaluru. Railway activist K.N. Krishnaprasad said the service should continue from KSR or begin at Yeshwanthpur to improve access for residents of north and central Bengaluru.