New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the much-awaited Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to commence soon. The minister made the announcement while virtually flagging off a new express train between Bengaluru and Mumbai. He said several long-pending railway demands of South and North Karnataka are now being fulfilled through accelerated infrastructure development and enhanced funding support.

"Long-pending demands of South & North Karnataka are now being fulfilled. Further, the Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to start soon," Vaishnaw stated. Vaishnaw said railway funding for Karnataka has seen a sharp rise in recent years, helping speed up the execution of key rail projects across the state. He noted that under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 61 railway stations in Karnataka are being redeveloped at a cost of Rs 2,160 crore, of which nine stations have already been completed.

Among the major projects, Bengaluru Cantonment railway station is being redeveloped at an estimated cost of Rs 485 crore, while Yeshwantpur station is undergoing redevelopment worth Rs 367 crore. Highlighting network expansion, the Railway Minister said around 1,750 km of new railway lines have been constructed in Karnataka since 2014. He also said electrification work on the challenging Hassan–Mangaluru railway section has been completed and testing is currently underway.

On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, Vaishnaw said work is progressing across all four corridors. He stated that land acquisition has been completed for the Baiyappanahalli–Chikkabanavara and Heelalige–Rajanukunte corridors, where station construction work is currently in progress. He added that the alignment for the KSR Bengaluru–Devanahalli corridor has received joint approval from the Karnataka government and the Railways, while geotechnical surveys have already been completed. The Kengeri–Whitefield corridor was recently approved and survey work is expected to begin shortly.

According to the minister, the suburban rail network will connect major hubs across Bengaluru, including Kempegowda International Airport, Electronic City, Marathahalli and Hebbal, significantly improving urban mobility. Vaishnaw further said Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains. He added that testing on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru route is in progress and is expected to improve rail connectivity along the coastal belt up to Madgaon.

--IANS