Bengaluru Mangaluru Vande Bharat Train Set for Another Trial Run Today
A 16 coach Vande Bharat train will run another trial between Yeshwanthpur and Mangaluru today, with railway officials closely checking timings, safety, speed and operations through the Western Ghats.
The proposed Bengaluru Mangaluru Vande Bharat service is moving through another important stage, with a 16 coach train scheduled to conduct a fresh trial run between Yeshwanthpur and Mangaluru today. Railway officials will use the exercise to examine timings and operational conditions along the route before any final decision on regular commercial service.
The empty coach Vande Bharat train being used for the test will operate under train number IC2015. The trial has been arranged following directions from the Railway Board, with South Western Railway issuing an official order for the operation.
The train is scheduled to leave Yeshwanthpur at 6.50 am and travel towards Mangaluru through Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road and Kabaka Puttur. According to the temporary schedule, it will reach Hassan at 9.33 am and leave two minutes later.
The next major checkpoint will be Sakleshpur, where the train is expected to arrive at 10.25 am and depart at 10.30 am. From there, the train will enter the important Ghat section towards Subrahmanya Road.
The Vande Bharat is expected to reach Subrahmanya Road at 12.50 pm and continue its journey at 12.55 pm. It will then arrive at Kabaka Puttur at 2.34 pm and leave at 2.36 pm. Mangaluru Junction is scheduled to be reached at 2.40 pm.
The return journey is planned to begin from Mangaluru Junction at 3.10 pm. The train is expected to reach Kabaka Puttur at around 3.20 pm, followed by Sakleshpur at approximately 6.50 pm and Hassan at about 7.45 pm. The tentative schedule places its arrival at Yeshwanthpur at around 10.30 pm.
Railway officials have made it clear that these timings are only for the trial operation. They should not be treated as the final timetable for the proposed passenger service. The final schedule will depend on the findings from the trial runs and subsequent railway level assessments.
Particular attention will be given to the Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road Ghat section. The stretch is considered operationally important because of its terrain, and officials will closely observe how the Vande Bharat performs while passing through this portion of the route.
During the trial, railway teams are expected to examine the trains speed, safety aspects and overall operational performance. Coordination between different railway departments will also be monitored as part of the exercise.
Officials have been asked to record important operational details, including the departure point, destination, interchange between railway divisions and the actual time spent at scheduled stops. A separate report on the trains movement through the Ghat section will also be prepared after direct observation.
The trial will involve personnel from the Bengaluru and Mysuru railway divisions along with timetable controllers and officials from electrical, track and engineering and mechanical departments. Their combined observations will be reviewed after the test run.
Once the exercise is completed, the concerned teams will prepare a detailed report covering the operational findings. The report will then be submitted to the appropriate office of South Western Railway for further consideration.
Safety has been placed at the centre of the trial. Railway authorities have instructed officials to follow all prescribed safety precautions without compromise while examining whether travel time can be reduced as far as operationally practical.
The latest trial is being watched closely because the Bengaluru Mangaluru route connects important cities and passes through a challenging Ghat stretch. A successful assessment could provide useful inputs for deciding the eventual operating pattern of the proposed Vande Bharat service.
For now, passengers will have to wait for an official announcement regarding the final stations, timetable and commercial launch. The present schedule is strictly part of the trial process and does not confirm the timings that may be adopted when regular services begin.
The outcome of the latest run, particularly the performance between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road, is therefore expected to be an important factor in the next stage of planning for the Bengaluru Mangaluru Vande Bharat service.
