Thousands of passengers travel daily between Vijayawada and Bengaluru. The route remains busy throughout the year. IT professionals, business travellers, students, and devotees heading to Tirupati frequently use this corridor.
Because of this heavy demand, the Indian Railways decided to introduce a Vande Bharat Express on this route. Officials quickly prepared proposals and even assigned train number 20711. However, despite early announcements, the train has not started operations.
Initially, authorities said they would launch the service in May last year. Later, they mentioned August and then December. Yet, the launch has still not taken place.
Route Selection Creates Technical Hurdles
According to railway sources, the main delay stems from route-related issues. Normally, trains from Vijayawada to Bengaluru use one of two major routes.
The first route runs via Guntur, Nandyal, Guntakal, and Dharmavaram. The second route passes through Ongole, Nellore, Gudur, Renigunta, and Katpadi.
The Railway Board chose the second route. Officials wanted to serve both Bengaluru IT passengers and Tirupati pilgrims with a single service. However, this decision created a technical challenge.
After crossing Renigunta Junction, the train must either enter Tirupati station and reverse direction or take a bypass line toward Katpadi. This extra movement increases travel time. As a result, officials struggle to maintain the original target of completing the journey in nine hours. Therefore, preparing a workable timetable has become difficult.
Inter-Zonal Coordination Delays File Clearance
Another major issue involves coordination between railway zones. The section from Vijayawada to Gudur falls under the South Central Railway. This zone has shown readiness to provide the required slot for the Vande Bharat service.
However, after Gudur, the train enters the Southern Railway zone and later moves into the South Western Railway zone.
The Gudur–Katpadi section is a high-revenue freight corridor. Heavy goods trains from Krishnapatnam Port frequently operate on this line. Freight traffic generates significant income for the Railways.
Under the proposed schedule, the Vande Bharat would pass through this section between 10 am and 12 noon. To prioritise it, authorities would need to halt or delay goods trains. Southern Railway reportedly raised objections. Officials have indicated that freight operations cannot be disturbed during peak hours. As a result, the file remains pending due to a lack of inter-zonal agreement.
Coach Capacity and Passenger Demand Concerns
Officials initially planned to operate a full 16-coach Vande Bharat on this route. However, passenger travel patterns raised concerns. Many travellers prefer overnight sleeper buses for the nearly 700-kilometre journey. Compared to daytime travel, night services often see higher demand.
Therefore, authorities decided to allocate an 8-coach mini Vande Bharat as a safer option. Even so, questions remain about whether enough passengers will choose a full daytime journey.
Rake Allocation and Political Pressure Allegations
Some claim that newly manufactured rakes from the Chennai factory are being diverted to other politically sensitive routes. Some sources allege that the rake originally earmarked for the Vijayawada–Bengaluru service was reassigned to another zone. Because of this, announced launch dates reportedly changed multiple times.
Maintenance Slot Still Pending in Bengaluru
Maintenance planning presents another challenge. The train is expected to terminate at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal in Bengaluru. Vande Bharat trains require a weekly pit-line maintenance slot.
Currently, the terminal operates at high capacity. The Bengaluru division has not yet finalised a maintenance slot, possibly on Tuesday or Thursday. Until officials approve this arrangement, the launch cannot move forward.
State Government Remains Optimistic
Despite these hurdles, the Andhra Pradesh government remains positive. Officials insist that the Vijayawada–Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will begin operations soon. They describe the current obstacles as temporary technical issues. Moreover, they say coordination with the railway authorities continues regularly.
However, passengers continue to wait. With repeated announcements and postponements, expectations remain high. Until final approvals are secured, travellers between Vijayawada and Bengaluru will have to rely on existing train and bus services.
