BENGALURU: Minister for Infrastructure Development MB Patil on Thursday renewed his push for a high-speed rail corridor connecting Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai, stating that this project should move beyond discussions and be taken to its logical end in the interests of regional development.
Soon after the Union Budget was presented, Patil said he had flagged the need for a world-class high-speed rail link between Bengaluru, the country’s technology capital, and Mumbai, its financial capital.
Lauding Union ministers Prahlad Joshi and HD Kumaraswamy for taking up the matter with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Patil said the initiative is not driven by politics, but by the need for efficient connectivity.
“There must be an efficient and globally competitive transport system between Bengaluru and Mumbai. Such a corridor will benefit large parts of central and north Karnataka as well as western Maharashtra,” he said, responding to reporters’ queries.
Seven high-speed rail corridors, including Bengaluru–Hyderabad and Bengaluru–Chennai were announced in the Union Budget. While these announcements are welcome, Patil said, the benefits to Karnataka are limited as trains on both corridors would run only about 100 km within the state. In contrast, the Bengaluru–Pune–Mumbai corridor would pass through key areas such as Tumakuru, Davanagere, Hubballi, Belagavi in Karnataka and Sangli and Kolhapur in Maharashtra.
Patil noted that this corridor could significantly boost economic and industrial activities in these regions. Stating that he had highlighted these aspects on the day the budget was presented, he said he is happy that the issue is now receiving attention at the central level.
The minister said he has written to PM Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Railways V Somanna, urging them to take up the project.