Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday virtually flagged off the new SMVT Bengaluru–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express train between Bengaluru and Mumbai, while also announcing that the much-awaited Vande Bharat Sleeper service between the two cities is expected to commence soon.

The Minister said that the new developments mark a major step towards strengthening rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra and fulfil long-pending demands of people from both South and North Karnataka.

Addressing the gathering virtually, Mr. Vaishnaw highlighted the rapid expansion of railway infrastructure in Karnataka over the last few years, stating that increased railway funding has accelerated the execution of key projects across the State. He said, “61 railway stations in Karnataka are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at a cost of ₹2,160 crore, of which nine stations have already been completed. The redevelopment works at Bengaluru Cantonment railway station are being taken up at a cost of ₹485 crore, while Yesvantpur Junction railway station is being redeveloped at ₹367 crore.” .

The Railway Minister said around 1,750 km of new railway lines have been constructed in Karnataka since 2014. He also noted that electrification works on the Hassan–Mangaluru railway section have been completed and testing is currently underway.

Suburban rail

On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, Mr. Vaishnaw said work is progressing across all four corridors. He stated that land acquisition for the Baiyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara and Heelalige–Rajanukunte corridors has been completed, while station construction work is currently in progress. The KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli alignment has received joint approval from the State government and Railways, and the geotechnical survey has also been completed. He added that the Kengeri–Whitefield alignment was recently approved and survey work would begin shortly.

He further stated that Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains and that testing on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru route is underway, which would improve connectivity towards the coastal region up to Madgaon.

Bullet trains

Mr. Vaishnaw also announced that bullet train corridors connecting Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai have been approved. He said, “The long-term railway vision aims to expand the high-speed rail network to nearly 7,000 km connecting Mumbai, Bengaluru and other major cities.”

Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna, who addressed the gathering during the flagging off ceremony of Train No. 16553/54 SMVT Bengaluru–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express, said that the Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot would be established at Thanisandra at a cost of ₹270 crore, along with a chair car maintenance facility at SMVT Bengaluru costing ₹52.73 crore.