Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlights major railway expansion, station redevelopment and suburban rail progress across Karnataka.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually flagged off a new express train service between Bengaluru and Mumbai, marking another major step in strengthening rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra.
During the event, the minister announced that the Vande Bharat Sleeper service connecting Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to begin operations soon, fulfilling a long-pending demand for improved connectivity between South and North Karnataka and western India.
Highlighting railway infrastructure growth in Karnataka, Vaishnaw said the state has witnessed a sharp increase in railway funding over the past few years, accelerating multiple projects across the region.
Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 61 railway stations in Karnataka are being redeveloped at a cost of ₹2,160 crore, with nine projects already completed. Bengaluru Cantonment station is being redeveloped at ₹485 crore, while Yeshwantpur station is undergoing redevelopment at ₹367 crore.
The minister stated that since 2014, nearly 1,750 km of new railway lines have been constructed in Karnataka, while electrification work on the Hassan–Mangaluru section has been completed and is currently under testing.
On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, Vaishnaw said work is progressing across all four planned corridors. Land acquisition for the Baiyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara and Heelalige–Rajanukunte corridors has been completed, with station construction already underway.
He further said the KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli alignment has received joint approval from the Railways and the Karnataka government, while the Kengeri–Whitefield corridor has also been approved and survey work will begin shortly. The suburban network is expected to improve connectivity to major hubs including the airport, Electronic City, Marathahalli and Hebbal.
Vaishnaw also noted that Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains, while testing is underway on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru route to improve coastal connectivity up to Madgaon.
The Railway Minister further confirmed that bullet train corridors connecting Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai have been approved as part of India’s long-term high-speed rail expansion vision.
Union Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna said the new Bengaluru–Mumbai train will significantly benefit passengers on one of the country’s busiest travel corridors while supporting Karnataka’s economic development.
He added that Karnataka has received a record railway budget allocation of ₹7,748 crore and is nearing 100 percent railway electrification, with major investments also being made in signalling systems, rail overbridges and suburban rail infrastructure.
