India Launches Bengaluru-Mumbai Sleeper Train and South Bullet Corridor
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched a Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai and announced a new South Bullet Train Corridor.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express on November 2, 2026, establishing a high-speed overnight rail link between Bengaluru and Mumbai. The service travels via Guntakal, Raichur, Yadgir, and Kalaburagi, aiming to reduce travel time for students and professionals while strengthening economic ties between the two hubs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the launch as a major initiative to improve connectivity across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
During the same event, Vaishnaw announced the proposed South Bullet Train Corridor, which has been approved by Modi. The corridor will connect Bengaluru with Hyderabad, Amaravati, and Chennai, potentially reducing the trip to Chennai to 73 minutes and the trip to Hyderabad to approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes. Vaishnaw stated that the Prime Minister has approved 4,000 km of bullet train corridors, with another 3,000 km expected soon.
Additionally, the Railway Minister announced that Vande Bharat services between Bengaluru and Mangaluru are expected to launch in the coming weeks once electrification and testing are complete.
