- Train
- 26655/26656 Vande Bharat
- Route
- Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon
- Regular from
- 15 November 2026
- Duration
- 12 h 20 m (down)
- Weekly off
- Wed down, Thu up
Bengaluru is getting a direct Vande Bharat link to coastal Karnataka and Goa. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw are set to flag off the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon-Yeshwantpur Vande Bharat Express on 13 November 2026, and regular services begin on 15 November. The train will run between Yeshwantpur and Madgaon in about 12 hours 20 minutes with 12 halts, giving families a comfortable daytime rail option to the coast for the first time on this route.
What is being launched
The flag-off on 13 November will happen from two places at once: the Prime Minister will flag off the service remotely from Bengaluru, where he is dedicating the Namma Metro Pink Line, while the Railway Minister will do the honours from Mangaluru Junction. Two brand-new 16-car Vande Bharat rakes in orange livery have been arranged for the service.
Regular services, train numbers 26655 and 26656, start on 15 November. The new service extends the existing Mangaluru Central-Madgaon Vande Bharat, which will be discontinued from 15 November.
Route, halts and timings
The train has 12 halts between Yeshwantpur and Madgaon: Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar.
The Yeshwantpur-Madgaon service leaves Yeshwantpur at 7:35 am and reaches Madgaon at 8:55 pm, except Wednesdays, taking 12 hours 20 minutes. The Madgaon-Yeshwantpur service leaves Madgaon at 8:20 am and reaches Yeshwantpur at 9:15 pm, except Thursdays, taking 13 hours.
Worth knowing: because the line climbs through the Western Ghats, this will be the longest-duration and slowest Vande Bharat chair car service in the country, averaging about 53 to 54 kmph. The scenery, through Sakleshpur and the coast, is the compensation.
What it means for your travel plans
1. A new daytime option to Goa and the coast. Until now, Bengaluru-Goa rail travel meant overnight trains or a flight. A chair-car daytime train suits travellers who prefer watching the ghats roll by, and towns like Hassan, Udupi and Karwar get a premium link.
2. Plan around the weekly offs. The train does not run on Wednesdays from Yeshwantpur and Thursdays from Madgaon. Check the day before you build an itinerary around it.
3. Bookings open with the service. Regular services start 15 November. For the Christmas and New Year rush on the Goa route, book as early as the reservation window allows.
A note from The Trip Keeper
Parents who find flights tiring and overnight buses uncomfortable now have a civilised way to reach the coast from Bengaluru: board after breakfast, watch the ghats, and step off in Goa in time for dinner. For many families this train will quietly become the default.
Last verified: 12 November 2026. Source: The Hindu (10 November 2026). Timings and halts as announced; check IRCTC for current availability before booking.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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