Travelling between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to get a major connectivity boost as the railways are likely to introduce a Vande Bharat Sleeper service between the two cities. Sharing details on this, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the long-awaited Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper train could begin running soon. The minister made this announcement while virtually flagging off a new express train between Bengaluru and Mumbai. He stated that many pending railway-related demands of South and North Karnataka are being met through rapid infrastructure development and improved financial support.
Bengaluru-Mumbai Vande Bharat Sleeper
The Vande Bharat Sleeper train between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to be operational from July or August.
“Instead of one train, we have decided to run two trains. The second train that is likely to start sometime in July or August, that will be Vande Bharat Sleeper…It will start in the evening (from Bengaluru) and reach Mumbai early morning the next day. Similarly, it will start from Mumbai in the evening and reach Bengaluru early morning the next day,” Vaishnaw said.
Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains covering 14 districts. He noted that a Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot will be established at Thanisandra at a cost of Rs 270 crore.
He said that trials are underway on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route, and this is expected to improve rail connectivity in the coastal region up to Madgaon.
Amrut Bharat Station Scheme
Vaishnaw stated that there has been a sharp increase in railway funding for Karnataka in recent years, accelerating the implementation of important railway projects across the state. He added that under the Amrut Bharat Station Scheme, 61 railway stations in Karnataka are being redeveloped at a cost of Rs 2,160 crore, with nine of these stations already completed.
Major projects include the Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Station, being redeveloped at an estimated cost of Rs 485 crore, and the Yeshwantpur station, undergoing redevelopment at a cost of Rs 367 crore. Furthermore, the Union Minister stated that approximately 1,750 kilometres of new railway lines have been laid in Karnataka since 2014.
Electrification work on the challenging Hassan-Mangaluru railway section has been completed, and testing is currently underway. Regarding the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, Vaishnaw stated that work is progressing on all four corridors. Vaishnaw stated that land acquisition has been completed for the Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara and Heelalige-Rajanukunte corridors, where station construction is currently underway.
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