Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday, 17 May, virtually flagged off a new express train between Bengaluru and Mumbai, strengthening direct rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The new service, Train No. 16553/54 SMVT Bengaluru-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express, has been introduced on one of the busiest passenger routes connecting south India with Maharashtra.
Vaishnaw said long-pending demands of South Karnataka and North Karnataka were being fulfilled, and announced that the Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper service is expected to start soon.
The minister also highlighted ongoing railway infrastructure works in Karnataka, saying higher funding in recent years had accelerated project execution across the state.
Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 61 stations in Karnataka are being redeveloped at a cost of ₹2,160 crore, of which 9 have already been completed.
Bengaluru Cantonment station is being redeveloped at ₹485 crore, while Yeshwantpur station is being redeveloped at ₹367 crore.
Vaishnaw said about 1,750 Km of new railway lines have been constructed in Karnataka since 2014.
He also said complex electrification works on the Hassan-Mangaluru section had been completed and testing was underway.
On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, the minister said work was progressing across all 4 corridors.
Land acquisition has been completed for the Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara and Heelalige-Rajanukunte corridors, while station works are currently in progress.
The KSR Bengaluru-Devanahalli alignment has been jointly approved by the state government and the Railways, and its geotechnical survey has been completed.
The Kengeri-Whitefield alignment has also been approved recently, with survey work expected to start shortly.
Vaishnaw said the suburban rail network would integrate key Bengaluru hubs, including the airport, Electronic City, Marathahalli and Hebbal.
Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains.
Testing on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route is underway and is expected to improve coastal connectivity up to Madgaon.
The minister also said bullet train corridors connecting Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai had been approved.
He added that, with a long-term plan to connect Mumbai, Bengaluru and other major cities, the high-speed rail network is expected to expand to 7,000 Km.
Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna, who addressed the flagging-off event, thanked Vaishnaw for sanctioning the new Bengaluru-Mumbai train and said it would benefit passengers on the busy route and support Karnataka’s development.
Somanna said Karnataka’s 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains currently cover 14 districts.
He also said a Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot would be established at Thanisandra at a cost of ₹270 crore, while a chair car maintenance facility at SMVT Bengaluru would be set up at a cost of ₹52.73 crore.
Railways is also taking up doubling of the Baiyappanahalli-Hosur section at ₹1,116 crore and the Bettahalasuru-Rajanukunte section at ₹248 crore. Quadrupling works around Bengaluru are being undertaken at a cost of ₹1,347 crore.
Automatic signalling works are being implemented across key sections, including Yesvantpur, KSR Bengaluru, Lottegollahalli, Baiyappanahalli, Penukonda, Mysuru and Jolarpettai, at a total cost of ₹6,396 crore.
Somanna said Karnataka had received a record railway budget allocation of ₹7,748 crore.
Since 2014, about 3,840 Km of railway lines have been developed and 3,742 Km electrified, taking the state close to full electrification.
He added that the number of road over bridges and road under bridges had increased from about 150 before 2014 to 707 now.
Another 146 are expected to be completed within the next year, while all level crossings are targeted for elimination in the next 3 years.
The event was attended by Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan, Rajya Sabha MP Lehar Singh Siroya and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya through video conference, along with senior Railway officials.
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