# Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat trial set for August 18 to 22 2026-08-07T03:46:15+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet South Western Railway will test a 20-coach Vande Bharat train in the Sakleshpur-Subrahmanya Road Ghat section from August 18 to 22, Deccan Herald reports. The Mysuru railway division will conduct the trial in the Western Ghats before authorities decide the launch date. The train has an Automated Emergency Braking system, described as a first for Karnataka, for safety on steep gradients. The 55-km section has a 1 in 50 gradient, 57 tunnels, 226 bridges and 108 sharp curves. Electrification was completed on December 28, 2025, but landslides remain a risk. Railway sources cited by Deccan Herald say the service could extend the existing Mangaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat. Travel between Bengaluru and Mangaluru could take seven hours or less, about an hour faster than the current quickest train. ## Coverage - deccanherald.com Tags: Bengaluru, Indian Railways, Mangaluru, Vande Bharat, Western Ghats Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bengaluru-mangaluru-vande-bharat-trial-set-for-august-18-to-22/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bengaluru-mangaluru-vande-bharat-trial-set-for-august-18-to-22/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.