2 min readUpdated: Aug 2, 2026 02:02 PM IST
Viral Vande Bharat Sleeper post: South Coast Railway (SCoR) has responded to a viral social media post claiming that it has proposed a new Vande Bharat Sleeper train between Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru.
Speaking to Indianexpress.com, a senior SCoR official said the viral post is factually incorrect. The Railway official said there is strong demand for such a train, but any decision on introducing a Vande Bharat Sleeper service is taken by the Railway Board (RB).
The official also clarified that the document circulating on social media is only an internal exercise to identify feasible train paths and suitable routes for operating additional train services from Visakhapatnam.
“The communication that has circulated pertains only to an internal exercise for identifying feasible train paths and suitable routes for operating additional train services from Visakhapatnam. All new proposals will be confirmed and approved by railway board only,” the official told Indianexpress.com.
According to the viral post, the zonal railway proposed a Vande Bharat Sleeper train between Visakhapatnam and Bengaluru via Nandyal. The post also claimed that the zone had sought feedback from the railway divisions and zones along the proposed route on the tentative timetable and the feasibility of operating the train.
Vande Bharat Sleeper train service
At present, only one Vande Bharat Sleeper train is in service. It runs between Howrah and Kamakhya, connecting West Bengal and Assam. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the train on January 17, 2026. Built by BEML using technology developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the train has been running with full occupancy, according to Indian Railways.
In May, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that a new Vande Bharat Sleeper train connecting Bengaluru and Mumbai will start soon. This new express train is expected to enhance rail connectivity for passengers travelling between Bengaluru, the Hubballi-Dharwad region, Belagavi, Pune and Mumbai. Bengaluru railway station falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the South Western Railway (SWR) zone.