Bengaluru–Mumbai Vande Bharat sleeper service to start soon: Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday announced that the Vande Bharat sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to start soon.

Vaishnaw was speaking during the virtual flagging off of an express train between Bengaluru and Mumbai, marking a major step in strengthening connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra.

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He stated that long-pending demands of South and North Karnataka are now being fulfilled.

Highlighting infrastructure growth, Vaishnaw noted a significant increase in railway funding in recent years, accelerating project execution across Karnataka.

Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 61 stations are being redeveloped at a cost of Rs 2,160 crore, with 9 already completed. Bengaluru Cantonment station is being redeveloped at Rs 485 crore and Yeshwantpur at Rs 367 crore.

Since 2014, about 1,750 km of new railway lines have been constructed in Karnataka, and complex electrification works in the Hassan–Mangaluru section have been completed, and testing is going on.

On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, Vaishnaw stated that work is progressing across all four corridors. For the Baiyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara and Heelalige–Rajanukunte corridors, land acquisition has been completed, and station works are currently in progress. The KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli alignment has been jointly approved by the state government and the Railways, and the geotechnical survey has been completed. The Kengeri–Whitefield alignment was recently approved, and survey work will commence shortly.

And he said the suburban rail network will integrate key hubs, including the airport, Electronic City, Marathahalli, and Hebbal.

The Railway Minister further stated that Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains. Testing on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru route is underway and will soon improve coastal connectivity up to Madgaon.

Bullet train corridors connecting Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai have also been approved, Vaishnaw highlighted. He further noted that, with a long-term vision to connect Mumbai, Bengaluru, and other major cities, the network is expected to expand to 7,000 km.

Union Minister of State for Railways, V Somanna, while addressing the gathering during the flagging off of Train No. 16553/54 SMVT Bengaluru – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express, expressed his gratitude to Vaishnaw for sanctioning the new Bengaluru–Mumbai train, stating that it will greatly benefit passengers on one of the busiest routes and further boost Karnataka’s development.