Bengaluru-Mumbai bi-weekly express train to begin from May 23; check route, timings and stoppages

Passengers travelling between Bengaluru and Mumbai will soon get an additional direct rail connection, with the Ministry of Railways approving a new bi-weekly express service on the busy route.

The new Train No. 16553/16554 SMVT Bengaluru–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Bi-Weekly Express has been introduced amid rising passenger demand, recurring schedule disruptions and heavy overcrowding on existing services, especially the Udyaan Express.

The inaugural run from Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) in Bengaluru’s Byappanahalli area is scheduled for May 23, while the first return journey from Mumbai’s Lokmanya Tilak Terminus will operate on May 24.

According to railway officials, the train will depart from SMVT Bengaluru every Tuesday and Saturday at 8:35 pm and reach Mumbai at 8:40 pm the following day.

The return service from Mumbai will leave Lokmanya Tilak Terminus every Wednesday and Sunday at 11:15 pm and arrive in Bengaluru at 10:30 pm.

During its journey, the train will halt at several major stations across Karnataka and Maharashtra, including Davanagere, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Miraj, Sangli, Karad, Satara, Pune, Lonavala, Karjat, Kalyan and Thane.

Railway officials said the new service is expected to ease pressure on existing Bengaluru-Mumbai trains, which frequently witness long waiting lists and overcrowding.

However, railway experts pointed out that the new bi-weekly service may not significantly reduce overall travel time, as the journey between the two cities still takes more than 23 hours.

The Railway Board is also expected to announce a faster superfast express service on the same corridor in the coming months. In addition, the proposed Vande Bharat sleeper train between Bengaluru and Mumbai, likely to be launched in August, is being viewed as a major upgrade in connectivity between the country’s technology and financial hubs.

Ahead of regular operations, South Western Railway will conduct a special inaugural run of the service on May 17.

The railway zone has also announced the regularisation of nine special train services, including routes connecting Channapatna, Hassan, Bangarpet, Ashokapuram, Talguppa and Visakhapatnam.