BENGALURU: Karnataka’s next Vande Bharat Sleeper train will connect Bengaluru to Mumbai via North Karnataka and Hubballi, covering regions that currently lack access to a world-class train service, announced Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday.
The announcement came at the launch of South India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper Express connecting Bengaluru to Mumbai. The inaugural special departed from Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT), Bengaluru, and is scheduled to reach Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai, at 6.15 am on Monday.
Vaishnaw said the proposed second service will start from Bengaluru, pass through parts of North Karnataka towards Hubballi and continue to Pune and Mumbai. The route has been decided in consultation with Union Ministers HD Kumaraswamy, Pralhad Joshi and Somanna, along with MPs from Bengaluru, he added.
The service will serve parts of Andhra Pradesh and North Karnataka, including Raichur, Yadgir and Kalaburagi, he said.
On demands for better connectivity between Bengaluru and Pune, he said another 3,000 km of bullet train corridors will be announced and the Bengaluru to Pune route could be among them. Additional corridors covering parts of Karnataka would also be considered, he added.
He announced that a Vande Bharat between Bengaluru and Mangaluru will be introduced in the next few weeks, as electrification of the route and testing has been completed.
Joshi said robust investment has driven both infrastructure expansion and safety enhancements, pointing out that accident rates have plummeted from 135 to 16 following the rollout of the Kavach protection system. Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy said these initiatives will benefit a large number of migrant workers and families from West Bengal, Assam and Bihar residing in Bengaluru.