Category: Travel & Tourism
Indian Railways has started regular commercial operations of the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains on two routes: Varanasi–New Delhi and Bengaluru–Mumbai.
The Varanasi–New Delhi service was flagged off on 31 October 2026 by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The Bengaluru–Mumbai service was flagged off on 1 November 2026. Regular operations began on 2 November 2026 for the Mumbai–Bengaluru direction and 3 November 2026 for the Bengaluru–Mumbai direction.
What the trains offer
Each train has 16 coaches and carries 823 passengers, in three air-conditioned classes: AC 3-tier, AC 2-tier and AC 1st class. Only passengers with confirmed tickets may board — RAC, waitlisted and partly confirmed tickets do not permit boarding.
Varanasi–New Delhi (27421 / 27422)
Train 27421 leaves Varanasi at 8:50 PM and reaches New Delhi at 6:10 AM the next morning, a journey of 9 hours 20 minutes. Train 27422 leaves New Delhi at 9:40 PM and reaches Varanasi at 7:10 AM.
The halts are Prayagraj, Kanpur Central, Aligarh and Ghaziabad. The service runs six days a week: the Varanasi-originating train does not run on Fridays, and the New Delhi-originating train does not run on Saturdays.
Reported fares for the Varanasi–Delhi service are ₹1,819.20 for AC 3-tier, ₹2,349.80 for AC 2-tier and ₹2,880.40 for AC 1st class. Fares can change, so check IRCTC before booking.
Bengaluru–Mumbai (27651 / 27652)
Train 27652 leaves SMVT Bengaluru at 7:45 PM and reaches CSMT Mumbai at 11:55 AM the next day, a journey of about 16 hours 10 minutes. Train 27651 leaves CSMT Mumbai at 8:10 PM and reaches Bengaluru at 12:00 PM the next day, in about 15 hours 50 minutes.
The halts are Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune and Kalyan. The service runs six days a week: the Bengaluru-originating train does not run on Mondays, and the Mumbai-originating train does not run on Tuesdays.
Fares for the Mumbai–Bengaluru journey are ₹2,810 for AC 3-tier, ₹3,630 for AC 2-tier and ₹4,450 for AC 1st class, with GST extra.
How to book
Tickets can be booked through IRCTC, railway reservation counters and the RailOne app.
Sources: PIB releases, 30 October and 1 November 2026; Indian Express, 2 November 2026; fare tables from NewsPoint and KhabriBabu, 2 November 2026.
