BENGALURU: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday virtually flagged off a new express train service between Bengaluru and Mumbai, describing it as a major step towards improving rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
During the event, the minister also announced that the much-awaited Vande Bharat Express sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to begin operations soon.
Vaishnaw said several long-pending railway demands from South and North Karnataka were now being fulfilled through accelerated infrastructure development and increased railway investment in the state.
Highlighting ongoing projects, he said 61 railway stations in Karnataka are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at a total cost of ₹2,160 crore, with work already completed at nine stations.
The Bengaluru Cantonment railway station is being redeveloped at a cost of ₹485 crore, while redevelopment work at Yeshwantpur railway station is progressing at ₹367 crore.
The minister said around 1,750 kilometres of new railway lines have been laid in Karnataka since 2014. He also noted that electrification work in the Hassan-Mangaluru railway section has been completed and testing is currently underway.
Speaking about the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, Vaishnaw said work is progressing across all four corridors. Land acquisition has been completed for the Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara and Heelalige-Rajanukunte corridors, while station construction is currently underway.
He added that the KSR Bengaluru-Devanahalli corridor has received joint approval from the state government and Railways, and geotechnical surveys have been completed. The Kengeri-Whitefield alignment has also been approved recently, with survey work expected to begin shortly.
According to the minister, the suburban rail network will eventually connect major hubs including the airport, Electronic City, Marathahalli and Hebbal, significantly improving urban mobility in Bengaluru.
