Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat trials enter the Shiradi Ghat stretch

The Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat has entered the Shiradi Ghat section for trials, taking on a 55-km stretch between Sakleshpur and Subrahmanya Road that carries trains through 57 tunnels, 226 bridges and 108 curves.

The trial was conducted at low speeds with added safety precautions after monsoon-related disruptions and restoration work on the route. The ghat section has gradients as steep as 1 in 50, and its maximum permitted train speed is 30 kmph.

Railways completed electrification of the section in December 2025, nearly two years after work began, at a reported cost of about Rs 93.5 crore. The project included overhead equipment along the route and five switching stations. Much of the work had to be supplied by train because road access is limited along large parts of the line.

Electrification alone did not clear the way for Vande Bharat services. The self-propelled trainset needed an automatic emergency braking system for the ghat’s steep gradients, where overspeed protection is required. Railway teams from mechanical, electrical, operations and security departments were involved in the preparatory work and trials.

The trial is a step towards operating the Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat over the full ghat route; a regular-service schedule has not been stated.