New Delhi, 17 May (H.S.): Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday virtually flagged off the Bengaluru-Mumbai Express rail service, stating that the new train would further strengthen railway connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra. During the event, he also announced that a Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai would be launched soon.

Ashwini Vaishnaw said that several long-pending demands of both southern and northern Karnataka are now being fulfilled. He stated that railway budget allocations have witnessed significant increases in recent years, enabling faster progress of railway infrastructure projects across Karnataka.

He said that under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 61 railway stations in Karnataka are being redeveloped at a cost of ₹2,160 crore, out of which redevelopment work at nine stations has already been completed. Bengaluru Cantonment Station is being redeveloped at a cost of ₹485 crore, while Yeshwantpur Station is undergoing redevelopment at an estimated cost of ₹367 crore.

The Railway Minister further stated that nearly 1,750 kilometres of new railway lines have been laid in Karnataka since 2014. He added that the complex electrification work on the Hassan-Mangaluru section has also been completed, and trial operations are currently underway.

Vaishnaw said that work is progressing on all four corridors of the Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project. Land acquisition has been completed for the Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara and Heelalige-Rajanukunte corridors, while station construction work is ongoing. The KSR Bengaluru-Devanahalli route has received joint approval from both the state government and the Railways, and geotechnical surveys have been completed. The Kengeri-Whitefield corridor has also recently received approval.

The Union Minister said that 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains are currently operating in Karnataka. Trial runs are underway on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route, which is expected to significantly improve connectivity to coastal regions. He also stated that bullet train corridors connecting Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai have received official approval.

Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna said that the new Bengaluru-Mumbai rail service would provide major relief to passengers travelling on one of the country’s busiest railway routes. He announced that a Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot would be established at Thanisandra at a cost of ₹270 crore, while a chair car maintenance facility would be developed at SMVT Bengaluru at an estimated cost of ₹52.73 crore.

He further stated that railway capacity in the Bengaluru region is being enhanced through projects such as the Baiyappanahalli-Hosur doubling project, the Bettahalasuru-Rajanukunte project, and quadrupling works across major rail sections. Additionally, automatic signalling systems are being developed on key railway corridors at a cost of ₹6,396 crore.

V. Somanna said that Karnataka has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹7,748 crore this year. Since 2014, approximately 3,840 kilometres of railway lines have been developed in the state, while 3,742 kilometres of railway routes have been electrified. He added that the Railways has set a target to eliminate all level crossings within the next three years.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar