PANAJI
Under the Coastal Vande Bharat initiative of the Ministry of Railways, the South Western Railway (SWR) has proposed introducing a Vande Bharat Express service between Bengaluru and Goa, promising faster and fully electrified connectivity along the western coastal corridor.
The proposed service, with an estimated journey time of around 13 hours, is expected to significantly enhance travel for business commuters, tourists, and regional passengers. At present, only one regular express train operates between the two States.
As per the proposal, the train will depart from Yesvantpur in Bengaluru at 6.05 am, run via Padil while bypassing central Mangaluru stations, and arrive at Margao at 7.15 pm. In the return direction, it is slated to leave Margao at 5.30 am and reach Yesvantpur by 6.40 pm, ensuring daily connectivity in both directions.
However, SWR has pointed out that current operational speeds are restricted due to infrastructure constraints, particularly in ghat sections and signalling limitations, where trains operate at speeds below 50 kmph for extended stretches.
Travel time could be further reduced if key track segments, especially between Chikka Banawara and Hassan, and the Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya ghat section are upgraded to permit higher speeds.
The proposed route will pass through Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Padil, Thokur, and Udupi before terminating at Margao.
The project will require two Vande Bharat rakes fitted with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) systems to enable safe, simultaneous departures from both terminals.
