Blr-Goa Vande Bharat to run as slow as Mail trains

The forthcoming Bengaluru-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express will make its debut as the slowest Vande Bharat service in the country, covering 670 km in around 12-13 hours. With an average speed of 53-54 kmph, it will be comparable to ordinary Mail/Express trains in terms of speed. The speed limit of 130 kmph for commercial operations is due to suboptimal track conditions, as officials assert that train speeds fluctuate based on the track's state.

Despite being classified as a Vande Bharat Express, the Bengaluru-Madgaon service will be slower than Superfast Express trains, which typically maintain speeds above 55 kmph. The slowest Vande Bharat train currently in operation, the Pune-Ajni (26101/102), covers 882 km in 12 hours with an average speed of 73 kmph, while the Varanasi-Meerut Vande Bharat takes 12 hours to cover 783 km at an average speed of 66 kmph.

Other Vande Bharat services, such as the New Jalpaiguri-Patna (22234) and Ranchi-Howrah (20898/20897) trains, average speeds of 68 kmph and 64 kmph, respectively. The Varanasi-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express remains the fastest, covering 759 km in 8 hours at an average speed of 95 kmph. The reason behind Vande Bharat trains' inability to reach their top speed lies in the geometry of the railway tracks, stoppages along the way, and maintenance work in specific sections.

Indian Railways has been actively upgrading tracks since 2014, implementing measures such as the use of 60 kg rails, wider base concrete sleepers, and modern track renewal machines.