Bengaluru – Madurai Vande Bharat Express (20671 / 20672)

Timetable and fares last checked 12 November 2026.

Train summary

Train pages: 20671, 20672.

Which Bengaluru station? This Vande Bharat Express uses Bengaluru Cantt (BNC), not KSR Bengaluru (SBC) or SMVT Bengaluru. Some timetable sites list SMVT as the Bengaluru end, but the train neither starts nor stops there. The one other Bengaluru halt is Krishnarajapuram (KJM), 10 km out on the line towards Salem, which can be the easier station if you live in east Bengaluru.

Which Madurai station? The train starts and ends at Madurai Jn (MDU), the city’s main station.

The Madurai–Bengaluru Vande Bharat train was one of three flagged off by the Prime Minister by video conference on 31 August 2024, connecting the temple city of Madurai with Bengaluru. Source: All India Radio

20672 Bengaluru Cantt to Madurai timetable

20671 Madurai to Bengaluru Cantt timetable

All stops are on the same day. For live running status, use NTES with train number 20671 or 20672.

Why the two directions take different times

The same rake works both trains: 20671 reaches Bengaluru Cantt at 13:00 and 20672 leaves at 13:30. Yet the trip to Madurai is 25 minutes longer than the trip from it. The timetable shows where the extra time sits:

• Karur to Tiruchchirappalli (75 km): 58 min on 20671, but 1 h 25 min on 20672.
• Tiruchchirappalli to Dindigul (95 km): 55 min on 20671, 1 h on 20672.
• Dindigul to Madurai (66 km): 43 min on 20671, 1 h 18 min on 20672.
• Salem to Krishnarajapuram (about 255 km), the longest non-stop run: 3 h 13 min on 20671 but 2 h 48 min on 20672, so the afternoon train is quicker here.
• Krishnarajapuram to Bengaluru Cantt (10 km): 35 min on 20671, against 12 min the other way on 20672.

Timetables often carry extra minutes near the end of a run so that a train that has lost time can still arrive on schedule. Plan your pick-up for the timetabled arrival, and check NTES on the day.

Over the full 586 km, the timetable works out to an average of about 76 km/h for 20671 and about 72 km/h for 20672, stops included.

Boarding at Salem, Trichy and other stops

You do not have to start at Bengaluru Cantt or Madurai. Every station in the tables is a boarding and alighting point, and IRCTC sells tickets between any two of them.

• Krishnarajapuram (KJM). 20672 calls at 13:42, 12 minutes after Bengaluru Cantt. Towards Bengaluru, 20671 calls at 12:23, 35 minutes before the end of its run.
• Salem Jn (SA). The first stop in Tamil Nadu from Bengaluru, 265 km and 3 h 2 min out on 20672 (16:32). From Madurai, 20671 reaches Salem at 09:07 and, after leaving at 09:10, has 3 h 50 min to go to Bengaluru Cantt.
• Namakkal (NMKL). 17:13 on 20672 and 08:28 on 20671. Namakkal is 34 km from Karur, the shortest gap between two intermediate stops on the route.
• Karur (KRR). 17:48 on 20672 and 07:58 on 20671.
• Tiruchchirappalli Jn (TPJ). The longest halt on the route, 5 minutes in each direction. 20672 arrives at 19:15 and 20671 at 06:55. From Bengaluru Cantt it is 425 km and 5 h 45 min; from Madurai, 161 km and 1 h 40 min.
• Dindigul Jn (DG). 20:20 on 20672, 1 h 18 min before Madurai. On 20671 it is the first stop, at 05:58.

To board at an intermediate station, search from that station on IRCTC, or change the boarding point of an existing e-ticket before the chart. See the ticket change guide.

Bangalore to Madurai Vande Bharat ticket price

Fares are for one adult, General quota, with the meal, checked 12 November 2026. They come from erail.in’s record of IRCTC fares, and we kept each figure only after it agreed with erail’s own fare calculation from the official rules. That makes them a reliable guide, not a quote: confirm the price on IRCTC before you pay.

The Bangalore to Madurai Vande Bharat costs ₹165 more in CC and ₹190 more in EC than the Madurai to Bangalore train. Both cover the same 586 km in the same class, so the base fare should be the same; the gap most likely comes from the meal, since 20672 serves an afternoon and evening journey and 20671 a breakfast one. Choosing No Food lowers the price by the meal charge, which IRCTC shows in its fare breakdown when you book. EC costs ₹1,290 more than CC on 20671 and ₹1,315 more on 20672.

We could not confirm fares for shorter trips, such as Bengaluru Cantt to Salem or Tiruchchirappalli to Madurai. They cost less than the full run; get the exact figure for your station pair on IRCTC or estimate it with the fare calculator.

How the fare is built on every Vande Bharat Chair Car train:

• Base fare, set by distance and class. The Ministry of Railways fixed the Vande Bharat base fare at 1.4 times the Shatabdi fare in CC and 1.3 times in EC. Source: PIB
• Reservation and superfast charges, fixed per class.
• GST on the AC fare.
• Catering charge, if you keep the meal.
• No dynamic fare. The price does not climb as seats sell; only availability changes. Source: PIB, February 2026

For what the meal includes, see the food guide, and for the full breakdown, how Vande Bharat ticket prices work.

CC or EC on the Madurai Bengaluru Vande Bharat?

CC has 3+2 seating and EC has wider 2+2 seats with more legroom. On a trip of around eight hours the extra width matters more than on a short hop, but EC costs about 75 to 80% more on this route. The train was lengthened from 8 to 16 coaches from 11 September 2025, which added seats in both classes. Source: DT Next Railways can change a rake at short notice, so treat that as the latest reported formation. See CC vs EC and the seat guide for window seats and coach layouts.

Can you go and return the same day?

• From Madurai: take 20671, which reaches Bengaluru Cantt at 13:00, and return on 20672 at 13:30. That leaves 30 minutes at the station, which is enough only for a handover on the platform. A late arrival would make you miss the return.
• From Bengaluru: not possible. 20672 reaches Madurai at 21:40 and the next train back, 20671, leaves at 05:15 the following morning, 7 h 35 min later.

Watch the Tuesday gap. If you take 20672 from Bengaluru on a Monday, there is no 20671 on Tuesday morning, so the earliest Vande Bharat back is Wednesday. In the other direction, a Monday trip on 20671 still has its 20672 return the same afternoon. Check any pair of dates with the same-day return planner or the running days checker.

Booking the Bengaluru Madurai Vande Bharat train

Booking opens on IRCTC 60 days before the journey, not counting the journey day; the advance reservation period was cut from 120 to 60 days from 1 November 2024. Source: All India Radio For a journey on Monday 11 January 2027, booking opens on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 08:00 IST. Find the date for your trip with the booking date calculator.

The 60 days are counted from the date the train leaves its first station. On these trains that is always the travel date, because both run within one day.

Tatkal is also available on both trains; the timing and charges are in the Tatkal guide. The booking guide covers IRCTC step by step, including quotas, waiting lists and choosing a seat.

When is the chart prepared?

• 20671 leaves Madurai at 05:15, so its first chart is prepared by 20:00 the evening before.
• 20672 leaves Bengaluru Cantt at 13:30, so its first chart is also prepared by 20:00 the evening before.

Both trains leave their first station between 05:01 and 14:00, the band in which the first chart is made by 20:00 on the previous day; the Ministry of Railways puts chart preparation at 9 to 18 hours before departure. Source: PIB, 24 March 2026 So even on the afternoon train from Bengaluru, a waitlisted passenger knows the outcome the night before. After the chart, your coach and seat number appear on the PNR. The chart preparation time tool works it out for any date.

Cancelling a ticket

For a confirmed CC or EC ticket, the Ministry of Railways announced these bands in March 2026: a flat charge if you cancel more than 72 hours before departure, 25% of the fare between 72 and 24 hours, 50% between 24 and 8 hours, and no refund in the last 8 hours. IRCTC’s published refund rules still show the older 48, 12 and 4 hour cut-offs, so check which applies when you cancel. Source: PIB, 24 March 2026, All India Radio A ticket still waitlisted when the chart is made is cancelled automatically and refunded, less a clerkage charge. Source: IRCTC refund rules

The hours count from the train’s departure at its first station, not from where you board. If you board 20672 at Salem at 16:35, your deadlines still run from 13:30 at Bengaluru Cantt. Full bands and examples are in the Vande Bharat cancellation charges guide, and the refund calculator gives your own figure.

Bengaluru Madurai Vande Bharat FAQs

What is the timing of the Bangalore to Madurai Vande Bharat? Train 20672 leaves Bengaluru Cantt at 13:30 and reaches Madurai Jn at 21:40, a journey of 8 h 10 min.

What is the timing of the Madurai to Bangalore Vande Bharat? Train 20671 leaves Madurai Jn at 05:15 and reaches Bengaluru Cantt at 13:00, a journey of 7 h 45 min.

What are the 20671 train timings? 05:15 from Madurai, then Dindigul 05:58, Tiruchchirappalli 06:55, Karur 07:58, Namakkal 08:28, Salem 09:07, Krishnarajapuram 12:23, and Bengaluru Cantt at 13:00.

What are the 20672 train timings? 13:30 from Bengaluru Cantt, then Krishnarajapuram 13:42, Salem 16:32, Namakkal 17:13, Karur 17:48, Tiruchchirappalli 19:15, Dindigul 20:20, and Madurai at 21:40.

On which day does the Madurai Bengaluru Vande Bharat not run? Tuesday, in both directions.

Does the Madurai Vande Bharat leave from KSR Bengaluru or SMVT? Neither. It starts and ends at Bengaluru Cantt (BNC) and also stops at Krishnarajapuram (KJM).

What is the Bangalore to Madurai Vande Bharat ticket price? ₹1,765 in CC and ₹3,080 in EC on 20672, with the meal, one adult, General quota, checked 12 November 2026. Madurai to Bangalore on 20671 is ₹1,600 in CC and ₹2,890 in EC.

Why is the Bangalore to Madurai fare higher than Madurai to Bangalore? The distance and class are the same, so the base fare should match. The difference of ₹165 in CC and ₹190 in EC most likely comes from the meal charge. Check the breakdown on IRCTC.

Does the Vande Bharat stop at Trichy? Yes. Tiruchchirappalli Jn (TPJ) has a 5-minute halt: 19:15 on 20672 and 06:55 on 20671.

How many stops does the Bengaluru Madurai Vande Bharat Express have? Six intermediate stops: Krishnarajapuram, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchchirappalli and Dindigul, in reverse order on 20671.

Can I go from Madurai to Bangalore and back the same day? Only with 30 minutes at Bengaluru Cantt: 20671 arrives at 13:00 and 20672 leaves at 13:30. From Bengaluru, a same-day return is not possible.

When does booking open for the Madurai Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express? 60 days before the journey, at 08:00 IST on IRCTC. For Monday 11 January 2027, it opens on Thursday 12 November 2026.

When is the chart prepared for 20671 and 20672? By 20:00 the evening before, for both trains.

When did the Madurai Bengaluru Vande Bharat start? It was flagged off on 31 August 2024.

Related routes

• Vande Bharat trains in Karnataka
• Vande Bharat trains in Tamil Nadu
• Chennai – Bengaluru – Mysuru Vande Bharat
• Chennai – Coimbatore Vande Bharat
• Vande Bharat vs Shatabdi
• Full Vande Bharat route list

Sources

Timetable, stops and running days: erail 20671, erail 20672, cross-checked with ConfirmTkt, 11 November 2026. Fares: erail.in record of IRCTC fares, cross-checked against erail’s fare calculation, 12 November 2026. Launch: All India Radio, 31 August 2024. Coaches: DT Next, September 2025. Booking window: All India Radio, 1 November 2024. Fare rules: PIB, PIB, February 2026. Chart and cancellation: PIB, 24 March 2026, IRCTC refund rules. Always confirm on IRCTC or NTES before travel. Report a correction.