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Railways may run a Duronto between Bengaluru and Mumbai in about 18 hours, after criticism of a new bi-weekly ‘superfast’ taking ~24 hours
Indian Railways is exploring a faster premium train option between Bengaluru and Mumbai, with sources indicating that a Duronto Express could cut the journey time to about 18 hours. The proposal is being discussed soon after the Railway Board cleared a bi-weekly “superfast” service between the two cities that would take roughly 24 hours to cover the 1,209-km stretch, a duration that drew criticism for being slower than the existing Udyan Express.
The Railways had notified the bi-weekly train—16553/16554 SMVT Bengaluru–LTT Mumbai–SMVT Bengaluru—on December 9, 2025. As per the schedule mentioned in the notification, train 16553 was to leave SMVT Bengaluru at 8.35 pm on Saturdays and Tuesdays and arrive at LTT Mumbai at 8.40 pm the next day. The return service, 16554, was planned to depart LTT at 11.15 pm on Sundays and Wednesdays and reach SMVT Bengaluru at 10.30 pm the following day.
The bi-weekly service was designed with 14 stoppages, including Hubballi and Pune, and was proposed to run with 17 LHB coaches, with primary maintenance at SMVT Bengaluru. Although South Western Railway had not issued a separate formal notification, the plan attracted widespread pushback over travel time.
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Now, railway sources say the Railway Board is considering a Duronto Express between KSR Bengaluru and CSMT Mumbai via Tumakuru, Davangere, Hubballi, Belagavi, Miraj and Pune. Two rakes have been proposed for the service, with primary maintenance at KSR Bengaluru. Tentative timings suggest a 4.30 pm departure from KSR Bengaluru and arrival at CSMT Mumbai at 10.30 am the next day, while the return could leave CSMT at 3 pm and reach KSR at 9.30 am.
Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Ashutosh Kumar Singh said there has been no official communication on the Duronto so far, and clarified that the bi-weekly superfast service has not been cancelled and could still be introduced later this month. Duronto trains typically include onboard meals in the fare and follow dynamic pricing; a 3AC berth on the KSR–CSMT sector is estimated at around Rs 2,500.
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