The extended Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru-Madgaon-Yeshwantpur Vande Bharat Express is likely to be launched on 13 November by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Bengaluru and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw from Mangaluru, The Hindu reported on 10 November 2026, citing South Western Railway sources.

The launch is likely, not confirmed. The wording matters: the flag-off has been reported as expected, and the final confirmation is still awaited.

Modi will be in Bengaluru to dedicate the 7.5 km Namma Metro Pink Line between Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, and will remotely flag off the Bengaluru-Goa Vande Bharat starting from Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal.

How the launch would work

Vaishnaw would launch the service from Mangaluru Junction at around 2.30 pm, according to the report. Both inaugural specials would run simultaneously towards Bengaluru and Mangaluru.

Regular services could start within a day or two, operating out of Yeshwantpur, not SMVT Bengaluru, the report says.

The Railway Minister had announced on 29 September that the service would run as Train No. 26655/656 by extending the existing Mangaluru Central-Madgaon service (20646/645). The timetable was released on 30 October.

The route and halts

The service has 12 halts excluding endpoints: Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Kabaka Puttur, Mangaluru Junction, Udupi, Kundapura, Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road and Karwar.

The Yeshwantpur-Madgaon service leaves at 7.35 am and reaches at 8.55 pm, a journey of 12 hours 20 minutes, except on Wednesdays. The Madgaon-Yeshwantpur service departs at 8.20 am and reaches at 9.15 pm, a journey of 13 hours, except on Thursdays.

Two rakes are ready for the service, according to the report.

What it means for the coast

The extension connects Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Goa on a single Vande Bharat service, linking the state capital with the coastal districts and the neighbouring state.

For passengers in Mangaluru, Udupi and Karwar, the service offers a faster daytime link to Bengaluru and to Goa, with halts at towns along the coast and the Western Ghats.

If the flag-off goes ahead as reported, it will be a significant day for rail travel in the region. Until then, the launch remains likely, not confirmed, and the details above are as reported by The Hindu from railway sources.