New Vijayawada to Bengaluru Vande Bharat; Visakhapatnam awaits better connectivity

Plans are underway to launch a Vande Bharat Express connecting Vijayawada and Bengaluru. The Indian Railways has proposed a nine-hour travel time for the service, trimming down the current journey by nearly three hours. This new train is expected to greatly benefit pilgrims heading to Tirupati and travelers to Bengaluru alike.

According to proposals, the train (numbered 20711) will run six days a week, excluding Tuesdays. It will consist of eight coaches – seven AC chair cars and one executive chair car. The scheduled departure from Vijayawada is at 5:15 AM, with stops at Tenali (5:39 AM), Ongole (6:28 AM), Nellore (7:43 AM), Tirupati (9:45 AM), Chittoor (10:27 AM), Katpadi (11:13 AM), and Krishnarajapuram (1:38 PM), before arriving at SMVT Bengaluru at 2:15 PM.

The return train (20712) will begin its journey from SMVT Bengaluru at 2:45 PM the same day and follow the reverse route: Krishnarajapuram (2:58 PM), Katpadi (5:23 PM), Chittoor (5:49 PM), Tirupati (6:55 PM), Nellore (8:18 PM), Ongole (9:29 PM), Tenali (10:42 PM), and reach Vijayawada at 11:45 PM.

At present, travelers between Vijayawada and Bengaluru primarily rely on the Kondaveedu Express (Machilipatnam–Yeswanthpur), which operates three times a week.

Visakhapatnam–Bengaluru Rail Demand Remains High

While a new Vande Bharat has been proposed between Vijayawada and Bengaluru, there is a persistent and growing demand for more rail services between Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru as well. This is driven largely by tech professionals from the Vizag region working in the Karnataka capital.

Currently, the fastest available options – Anga Express (12254) and SMVT Bengaluru Superfast Express (12863)—take roughly 17 to 17.5 hours to complete the journey. The only train originating from Visakhapatnam, the Prashanti Express (18464), now takes about 22 hours and 40 minutes, following its extension to Bhubaneswar after the creation of the East Coast Railway zone.

This extension left Visakhapatnam without a dedicated direct train to Bengaluru, prompting appeals for better connectivity. One such proposal came from ZRUCC member Kanchumurthi Eswar, who urged railway officials to introduce a Sleeper-Class Vande Bharat Express between Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru via Tirupati and Chennai.

The envisioned sleeper version of the Vande Bharat train is designed for overnight journeys with high-speed sleeper coaches capable of reaching up to 180 km/h. Offering enhanced comfort and reduced travel time, this service could significantly ease congestion and meet the increasing demand for direct overnight connectivity from north Andhra to Bengaluru.

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