The Indian Railways is set to launch a new Vande Bharat Express connecting Bengaluru and Madgaon, though the service will operate at an average speed significantly lower than the standard associated with the premium train category. Officials have confirmed that the train will cover the 670-kilometre distance in approximately 12 to 13 hours. Specifically, the onward journey is scheduled to take 12 hours and 20 minutes, while the return trip will last 12 hours and 55 minutes, resulting in average speeds of 54 kmph and 53 kmph, respectively.
These figures place the Bengaluru-Madgaon service among the slowest Vande Bharat operations currently in the country. Indian Railways categorises trains with an average speed of 55 kmph or higher as Superfast Express services; consequently, this new route will fall below that threshold, performing at a pace consistent with ordinary Mail and Express trains. The operational profile of this service differs notably from other Vande Bharat trains, such as the Varanasi-New Delhi route, which maintains an average speed of 95 kmph, or others that typically operate between 65 kmph and 80 kmph.
A primary factor in the service's speed limitations is the terrain it must traverse. The route includes the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road section through the Western Ghats, where strict safety restrictions remain in place. These constraints necessitate reduced speeds through the hilly landscape, impacting the overall travel time and average velocity of the train. While the Vande Bharat fleet has a theoretical commercial speed limit of 130 kmph, officials noted that such speeds are rarely reached across the network due to specific track conditions and geographical requirements.
Addressing concerns regarding the speed of Vande Bharat services more broadly, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw previously stated in the Rajya Sabha that a train's average speed is contingent on various factors. These include the geometry of the track, the number of stoppages, and ongoing maintenance activities within specific rail sections. The ministry maintains that speed performance is heavily dictated by the physical infrastructure of the tracks, which can vary significantly across different regions.
The government has emphasised that track infrastructure has been a focus for modernisation over the last decade to increase speed potential. Measures implemented across the network include the adoption of 60 kg rails, the installation of wider base concrete sleepers, the use of thick web switches, and the deployment of modern track renewal and maintenance machinery. Despite these large-scale infrastructure upgrades, the specific operational demands of the Western Ghats route mean that the Bengaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat will function at a different capacity compared to flatter, high-speed corridors.
When compared to other long-distance Vande Bharat trains, the Bengaluru-Madgaon service emerges as one of the longest in terms of duration. For instance, the Pune-Ajni Vande Bharat Express, which covers 882 km in 12 hours, achieves a higher average speed of 73 kmph. Similarly, the Varanasi-Meerut service manages an average of 66 kmph over 783 km. As the Bengaluru-Madgaon line prepares for launch, the focus remains on navigating the challenging Western Ghats section while adhering to necessary safety protocols.
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