BENGALURU: Rapid trains, designed to revolutionise city-to-city travel, will soon arrive in Karnataka, announced Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, while inspecting the Bengaluru Cantonment station’s redevelopment work on Saturday.
He emphasised that Karnataka’s cities, such as Bengaluru and Mysuru, with distances ideal for rapid rail (less than 200 km), will greatly benefit from this new service.
The first two rapid trains have already been manufactured - from Delhi to Meerut and from Ahmedabad to Bhuj, and after a year of successful testing, large-scale production will begin, Vaishnaw said and mentioned, “Bengaluru is a magnet city, attracting people from neighbouring areas like Tumakuru and Mysuru and rapid trains will connect these cities at high frequency, transforming travel.”
The Union Minister also revealed plans to collaborate with Bengaluru Airport Authority to extend the railway line closer to the airport terminals. “We are working with the airport authority to take the railway station as close to departure and arrival terminals as possible,” he said. The plan includes doubling the railway line from Bengaluru station to Yelahanka to accommodate more passengers.
Regarding the Bengaluru Cantonment redevelopment, Minister Vaishnaw said that the station will feature a G+2 structure with 18,000 square metres of new space. “Parking for 250 cars and 250 two-wheelers will be underground, ensuring convenience for commuters,” he added.
He compared the developments to the earlier redevelopment of Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal at Baiyappanahalli. In addition, the minister reviewed the progress of Bengaluru’s circular rail project, which is expected to transform the city’s transport network.
The Terminal Project Report (TPR) is on track to be completed by December, after which further steps will be taken. Vaishnaw also inspected the ongoing construction of the third and fourth lines from Bengaluru to Whitefield, noting that it is progressing well.
Highlighting the success of Vande Bharat trains, Vaishnaw shared that routes like Bengaluru to Chennai, Madurai, and Hyderabad have recorded over 100% occupancy. “The Bengaluru-Chennai route is seeing 120% occupancy, showing that people are embracing this service,” he said.
