Kalpa Media House | Bengaluru |
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday virtually flagged off the new Train No. 16553/54 SMVT Bengaluru–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express, strengthening rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister said several long-pending railway demands of South and North Karnataka are now being fulfilled. He also announced that the Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to commence soon.
Highlighting the rapid growth of railway infrastructure in Karnataka, Vaishnaw said the state has witnessed a significant increase in railway funding over the past few years, accelerating project execution. Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 61 stations are being redeveloped at a cost of ₹2,160 crore, of which nine have already been completed.
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He said Bengaluru Cantonment railway station is being redeveloped at a cost of ₹485 crore, while redevelopment works at Yesvantpur Junction railway station are being carried out at ₹367 crore.
Since 2014, around 1,750 km of new railway lines have been constructed in Karnataka, he added. Vaishnaw also stated that electrification work on the Hassan–Mangaluru railway section has been completed and testing is currently underway.
On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, the Minister said work is progressing across all four corridors. Land acquisition has been completed for the Baiyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara and Heelalige–Rajanukunte corridors, while station works are in progress. The KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli alignment has been jointly approved by the Railways and the Karnataka government, and geotechnical surveys have been completed. The Kengeri–Whitefield alignment was recently approved, and survey work will begin shortly.
He said the suburban railway network will connect major hubs including the airport, Electronic City, Marathahalli and Hebbal.
Vaishnaw further stated that 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 announced that bullet train corridors connecting Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai have been approved. He said the high-speed rail network is expected to expand to nearly 7,000 km in the long term, connecting major cities including Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Union Minister V. Somanna, speaking during the event, thanked Vaishnaw for sanctioning the Bengaluru–Mumbai train and said it would benefit passengers on one of the country’s busiest travel routes.
Somanna said Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains covering 14 districts. He announced that a Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot will be established at Thanisandra at a cost of ₹270 crore, along with a chair car maintenance facility at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru costing ₹52.73 crore.
He added that doubling works on the Baiyappanahalli–Hosur and Bettahalasuru–Rajanukunte sections, along with quadrupling works around Bengaluru, are being undertaken to enhance rail capacity.
Somanna also said automatic signalling works worth ₹6,396 crore are being implemented across key railway sections including Yesvantpur, KSR Bengaluru, Mysuru, Baiyappanahalli, Penukonda and Jolarpettai.
Highlighting Karnataka’s railway growth, he said the state has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹7,748 crore. Since 2014, around 3,840 km of railway lines have been developed and 3,742 km electrified, taking Karnataka close to 100 per cent electrification.
He further stated that the number of ROBs and RUBs has increased from around 150 before 2014 to 707 currently, with 146 more expected to be completed within the next year. All level crossings in the state are targeted for elimination within the next three years.
Among those present on the occasion were P. C. Mohan, Lehar Singh Siroya and Tejasvi Surya, who joined via video conference. Senior officials of South Western Railway, including Bengaluru Divisional Railway Manager Ashutosh Kumar Singh, were also present.
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