Two Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains Set to Launch on October 31 and November 1
New Delhi, October 28: Indian Railways is getting ready to start two Vande Bharat Sleeper services on back-to-back days. One will link Varanasi and New Delhi, the other Mumbai and Bengaluru, with flag-offs planned for October 31 and November 1.
Delhi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Sleeper
The first service has a tentative inaugural run on October 31, 2026, and is expected to be flagged off by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Regular operations are slated to begin on November 1.
The train will stop at Prayagraj and Kanpur and cover the route in about 9.2 hours, compared to roughly 12 hours by the Rajdhani Express. It will run six days a week, except Saturdays.
Mumbai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Sleeper
The second service will start on November 1, 2026, connecting Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) with Bengaluru’s Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT).
Why it matters
The Vande Bharat Sleeper is Indian Railways’ first overnight version of the semi-high-speed train. The railway ministry has said the indigenously designed sleeper trainset has completed trial runs, testing and certification. The long-term plan is to scale the Vande Bharat fleet to 800 trains by 2030.
Until now, Vande Bharat services were mostly day-time chair car trains. The sleeper version targets long-distance overnight travellers, who so far depend mainly on Rajdhani-type services.
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