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Why it matters
Passengers between Bengaluru and Mumbai can now book a 16-hour overnight train on a route where existing trains take 22 to 24 hours, Deccan Herald reported. Because the train sells only confirmed berths, there is no waiting list to join once it is sold out. The 400 km minimum charge makes short hops on this train cost far more per kilometre than the full trip.
The Vande Bharat sleeper fare for a full Bengaluru to Mumbai trip is ₹2,810 in third AC (air-conditioned three-tier), ₹3,630 in second AC and ₹4,450 in first AC, The Indian Express reported on the morning of 31 October 2026, as Vande Bharat sleeper booking opened for the new overnight train. Seats can be booked on the website of IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation), the Rail Connect and RailOne apps, or at reservation counters at stations, the newspaper said.
The first regular trips are close. Train 27651, the return working of the 27652 Vande Bharat, leaves Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in Mumbai for the first time on Monday, 2 November, and train 27652 leaves Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) in Bengaluru on Tuesday, 3 November, Deccan Herald reported. Before that, a one-off inaugural run leaves Bengaluru on Sunday, 1 November.
Vande Bharat sleeper fare by class, checked against the rulebook
The Bengaluru Mumbai Vande Bharat fares were not plucked out of the air. In January 2026 the Railway Board issued a single fare table for every Vande Bharat sleeper train in the country, Commercial Circular No. 03 of 2026, dated 9 January. It lists a basic fare for each class at every distance, kilometre by kilometre, and says the basic fare is “all inclusive”, with GST added on top.
NewsPlainly matched the reported Vande Bharat sleeper fare for this route against that table. They line up with the row for 1,115 km plus about 5%; the circular says GST is charged on top of the basic fare. The route is 1,118 km by The Times of India’s figure, so the charged distance appears to be a few kilometres shorter; neither report explained this.
| Class | Basic fare in circular (1,115 km) | Fare reported by Indian Express | Per km of the 1,118 km route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third AC (3A) | ₹2,676.00 | ₹2,810 | about ₹2.51 |
| Second AC (2A) | ₹3,456.50 | ₹3,630 | about ₹3.25 |
| First AC (1A) | ₹4,237.00 | ₹4,450 | about ₹3.98 |
Behind the table is a flat rate. Beyond 400 km, the basic fare rises by ₹2.40 a kilometre in third AC, ₹3.10 in second AC and ₹3.80 in first AC (NewsPlainly’s reading of the table: 2,676 divided by 1,115 is 2.40). The Indian Express report did not say whether meals are part of the ₹2,810. Deccan Herald had expected a third AC fare of about ₹3,000 including onboard meals, before bookings opened.
When the 27652 and 27651 start running
The two directions of the Bengaluru Mumbai Vande Bharat start on different days because each has a day off. Train 27652 does not leave Bengaluru on Mondays and 27651 does not leave Mumbai on Tuesdays, so the first regular departure from each end falls on the first day it is allowed to run.
| Date | Train | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 1 November | 06503 special | Flag-off at SMVT Bengaluru; leaves 12.15 pm, reaches CSMT 6.15 am on 2 November |
| Monday, 2 November | 27651 | First regular trip from CSMT Mumbai, 8.10 pm |
| Tuesday, 3 November | 27652 | First regular trip from SMVT Bengaluru, 7.45 pm |
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is to flag off the train at SMVT on Sunday morning, which is also Kannada Rajyotsava, the day Karnataka marks its formation, Deccan Herald reported, citing South Western Railway. Union ministers H.D. Kumaraswamy, Pralhad Joshi, V. Somanna and Shobha Karandlaje are expected, along with Karnataka minister Krishna Byre Gowda.
The inaugural special stops more often than the regular train will. Deccan Herald listed 12 halts for it: Hindupur, Dharmavaram, Anantapur, Guntakal, Raichur, Krishna, Yadgir, Kalaburagi, Solapur, Pune, Lonavala and Kalyan. The regular service has 8. The report did not say whether seats on the special are sold to the public.
Booking the Vande Bharat sleeper: what the rules say
Vande Bharat sleeper booking works differently from most long-distance trains, and the circular spells out how. Only confirmed tickets are sold. There is no RAC (reservation against cancellation, where two people share a berth) and no waiting list, so once berths are sold out there is no waiting list to join. All berths open for sale on the first day of the advance booking window.
Quotas are limited. The circular allows only the ladies quota, the quota for persons with disabilities, the senior citizen quota and the duty pass quota for railway staff. Concession tickets and free passes that are not reimbursed by someone else are not accepted, though normal child fare rules apply.
Payment is meant to be digital, even at the counter, so that a refund can begin within 24 hours of a cancellation. If a passenger pays cash, the refund follows the normal rules. The booking system will also try to give a lower berth to men aged 60 or above, women aged 45 or above, and passengers travelling with a child who has no berth of their own, when one is free.
Short trips still pay for 400 km
The circular sets a minimum chargeable distance of 400 km for every Vande Bharat sleeper fare. Anyone using the train for a short hop, such as Kalyan to Mumbai, is charged as if they had travelled 400 km. On the table, that basic fare is ₹960 in third AC, ₹1,240 in second AC and ₹1,520 in first AC, before GST.
The reports read for this article did not give fares between intermediate stations, such as Bengaluru to Pune or Solapur to Mumbai. Those depend on the charged distance between each pair of stops, which is shown when a journey on the 27652 Vande Bharat is searched on IRCTC.
The train has 16 coaches, 11 in third AC, 4 in second AC and 1 in first AC, and two sets of coaches run the service, according to Deccan Herald. NewsPlainly’s earlier report has the full 27652 Vande Bharat timetable, with arrival and departure times at all 8 stops.
One date in the Bengaluru Mumbai Vande Bharat coverage needs care. The Indian Express report on bookings gave the flag-off as “Sunday, October 31”. The Sunday is 1 November, which is the date South Western Railway gave Deccan Herald and the date earlier reports carried.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vande Bharat sleeper fare from Bengaluru to Mumbai?
₹2,810 in third AC, ₹3,630 in second AC and ₹4,450 in first AC for SMVT Bengaluru to CSMT Mumbai, The Indian Express reported on 31 October 2026.
When does booking open for the 27652 Vande Bharat sleeper?
Bookings opened on 31 October 2026 on the IRCTC website, the Rail Connect and RailOne apps and at station reservation counters, The Indian Express reported.
When does the Bengaluru Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper start?
The first regular 27652 leaves SMVT Bengaluru on Tuesday, 3 November at 7.45 pm. The 27651 starts from CSMT Mumbai on Monday, 2 November at 8.10 pm. An inaugural special runs on 1 November.
Does the Vande Bharat sleeper have a waiting list?
No. The Railway Board's fare circular says only confirmed tickets are issued, with no RAC, waitlisted or partly confirmed tickets.