Railways will launch the Mangaluru-Bengaluru Vande Bharat train service from June, Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna said in Mangaluru on Saturday. He did not specify the date of the launch.

Talking to reporters after inspecting railway projects at the Mangaluru Junction Railway Station, Mr. Somanna said that with the completion of electrification on the challenging railway route between Hassan and Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada Member of Parliament Capt. Brijesh Chowta has demanded the Vande Bharat train service between Mangaluru and Bengaluru.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat service between Mangaluru and Bengaluru,” he said. When asked about reports that the new train will avoid Mangaluru Junction and Mangaluru Central Railway stations, Mr. Somanna said there is no question of the Union government sidelining demands made by Capt. Chowta, Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi MP, and Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Uttara Kannada MP.

“The service between Bengaluru and Mangaluru will start next month. Introducing the service to other places (in the Karnataka Coast) is in the pipeline. We will prioritise all important stations (along the Karnataka Coast),” he said.

The Hubli-Ankola railway line project has not been dropped, he added.

MEMU train service

The railways propose to start an MEMU train between Mangaluru and Kukke Subrahmanya, the Minister said. The MEMU train will be in addition to the existing passenger train service. Next week, the MEMU train service will start between Arsikere and Bengaluru, he said.

Action will be taken to provide a stoppage for the Matsyagandha train operating between Mangaluru Central and Mumbai, at the Mangaluru Junction Station, he said.

To the problem caused by the frequent closure of the railway level crossing gate at Pandeshwar, the Minister asked Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan to take steps to address the problem. Capt. Chowta said Southern Railway should expedite the four-lane widening work being done at the level crossing.

The Mangaluru Junction Station improvement project, at a cost of ₹38 crore, is going on in full swing and is likely to be completed by October. Preparation of the master plan for the development of Mangaluru Central Station is in the final stages, and its development will also be taken up. The Mangaluru Junction Yard development work, at a cost of ₹40 crore, is also set for completion, he said.