The South Western Railway (SWR) conducted a trial run of a Vande Bharat Express between Yeshwantpur in Bengaluru and Mangaluru Central on Saturday, September 5, as preparations continue for the proposed regular service connecting Bengaluru with coastal Karnataka.
The train departed from Yeshwantpur at around 6.30 a.m., about 25 minutes later than the scheduled 6.05 a.m. departure. It reached Mangaluru Central at 4.25 p.m., nearly two hours behind the planned arrival time of 2.25 p.m. The rake began its return journey at 4.46 p.m., instead of the scheduled 3 p.m. A significant feature of the trial was that the 16-coach Vande Bharat rake, manufactured in 2023 and equipped with an Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system, became the first train-set to travel between Bengaluru and Mangaluru entirely on electric traction. Although the Bengaluru-Mangaluru railway line was fully electrified in December last year, regular train services on the route have so far continued to operate using diesel traction. Technical issue on Ghat sectionThe trial rake carried officials from various departments, including operations, mechanical, electrical, signalling and telecommunications. The train reached Hassan at approximately 8.45 a.m. and Sakleshpur around 9.45 a.m.
However, while passing through the challenging Sakleshpur–Subrahmanya Road Ghat section, the train encountered a technical problem. According to Mysuru Division Divisional Railway Manager Mudit Mittal, the issue was linked to instability in the overhead electric equipment along the ghat section. Railway personnel attended to the problem, following which the train proceeded towards Subrahmanya Road and reached the station at 1.55 p.m., instead of the scheduled 12.35 p.m. Another trial may be conducted SWR officials said the trial was aimed at identifying operational and technical issues before the regular service is introduced. Another runtime trial may be conducted to ensure that the route is suitable for seamless electric operation. The trial was also intended to help officials determine the actual running time across different sections and accordingly finalise the timetable, stoppages and other operational details. The Vande Bharat reached Mangaluru Central at 4.25 p.m., where railway officials welcomed the train. After a short halt, it departed for Yeshwantpur at 4.46 p.m. Focus on reducing travel time SWR headquarters had earlier indicated that the proposed running time for the service was on the higher side and directed officials to explore ways to reduce it while maintaining all safety requirements.
At present, the Bengaluru-Kozhikode Express takes around 9 hours and 25 minutes to cover the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru route, with 10 commercial halts. The Bengaluru-Karwar Panchaganga Express takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Hassan, despite having two stoppages. In comparison, the Vande Bharat trial was allotted three hours to cover the Yeshwantpur-Hassan stretch without any scheduled halt. Railway officials believe that if the train can cover this section in around two hours, the overall Bengaluru-Mangaluru journey time could potentially be brought down to approximately seven hours. The final schedule and stoppages are expected to be decided after further trials and assessment of the route.
