Overview
- The railway minister on Sunday flagged off the SMVT Bengaluru–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express, which begins regular runs from Bengaluru on May 23 and from Mumbai on May 24.
- The service will run twice a week as trains 16553 and 16554 with evening departures and a roughly 24-hour journey between the two cities.
- Officials said the route will serve major hubs such as Hubballi, Belagavi, Pune, and Thane, giving workers, students, and families a new direct option on a packed corridor.
- Ashwini Vaishnaw said a Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper is expected around July–August and will run overnight, with the start still subject to testing, scheduling, and final approvals.
- Support work includes a Vande Bharat Sleeper depot at Thanisandra costing about ₹270 crore and a chair-car facility at SMVT Bengaluru for ₹52.73 crore, alongside wider upgrades like station redevelopments, new lines, and completed electrification on the Hassan–Mangaluru section now under test.