In the latest Union Budget, Karnataka was allocated a railway budget of ₹7,748 crore. With this The railway infrastructure in the state is set for a major push with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announcing timelines for several projects.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Vaishnaw said that a premium train service between Bengaluru and Mumbai will be launched soon, alongside a series of infrastructure upgrades across the state.
Capacity expansion across several sections
Vaishnaw said the new service is being planned as additional track doubling work progresses on key routes. “Very soon, we’ll be starting a premium train service from Bengaluru to Mumbai,” he said, adding that capacity expansion across several sections would allow more services to be introduced.
The funding will support track expansion, station redevelopment, safety upgrades, passenger information systems and the Bengaluru suburban rail project.
Vande Bharat, high-speed rail corridor in Bengaluru
On the much-awaited Vande Bharat Express service between Bengaluru and Mangaluru, Vaishnaw said electrification testing and certification are currently underway. Details will be announced once the technical process is complete.
Looking ahead, the minister also spoke about proposed high-speed rail corridors linking Bengaluru with Chennai and Hyderabad, announced in the Union Budget. “As the finance minister said, it will connect the three large economies of South Indian states. They will become the high-speed diamonds of South India. A lot of work has already gone in, and a lot of progress has already happened in this regard,” a PTI report quoted him as saying.
Bengaluru suburban rail project
The minister further informed that the progress has also accelerated on the Bengaluru suburban rail project. Designs, approvals and tender documents for the complex network — much of it elevated and aligned with existing tracks — have been completed, Vaishnaw said.
However, he urged the Karnataka government to extend support for pending land acquisition. Calling the Yesvantpur-Kolar line important, he said the state government had withdrawn their support.
“So we will be requesting the state government to support it, because Bengaluru development is very important. We must double the capacity of Bengaluru. Then only can meet the demand. We must have more and more railway lines for the state,” Vaishnaw added.