Intro: Union Minister says 12 pairs of VB trains operational in Karnataka, entire state will be covered in future Bullet train to reduce travel time between B’luru and Chennai to 73 mins.

BENGALURU

Indian Railways is set to introduce another Vande Bharat Express train for Karnataka, further strengthening regional connectivity and boosting the state’s economy.

The new semi-high-speed service will operate on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route and will be maintained by the South Western Railway (SWR) zone.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the development during a press conference in Bengaluru, stating that the new service will begin soon after the completion of electrification work and the necessary safety certifications. He added that Karnataka is witnessing major railway infrastructure upgrades, backed by a record budget allocation of ₹7,748 crore for the sector.

At present, Karnataka is served by 22 Vande Bharat trains, which operate as 11 pairs across different routes. Among these, 14 services either originate from or terminate in the Bengaluru region, highlighting the city’s importance as a major railway hub.

The proposed Bengaluru-Mangaluru Vande Bharat is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the two cities and provide passengers with a faster, safer, and more comfortable journey.

The train will be equipped with advanced safety and passenger-friendly features, including the KAVACH automatic train protection system, semi-permanent jerk-free couplers, centrally controlled automatic doors, sealed wide gangways, and emergency alarm systems with talk-back units.

Additional features include aerosol-based fire detection and suppression systems, high acceleration with operating speeds up to 160 kmph, driver-guard communication with voice recording, crash-hardened memory, CCTV cameras in all coaches, UV-C based air disinfection systems, improved ride comfort, and special lavatories for Divyangjan passengers. The coaches will also have a real-time condition monitoring system for better maintenance.

With this launch, Karnataka’s Vande Bharat network will expand further, offering faster inter-city travel and supporting economic growth across the region.

BOX

‘Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project progressing’

Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that Corridors 2 and 4 of the Bengaluru Suburban Railway project have progressed well, as the state government has appointed a technical person as the Managing Director of the K-RIDE company after repeated requests, especially from Union MoS for Railways V Somanna. “The work across all four corridors have picked up pace, and the designs have now been completed, tender documents have been prepared, and the necessary approvals have been obtained for developing a complex suburban system. More than half of the alignment is elevated, requiring careful design, especially as it runs alongside railway lines,” he said, adding that innovations in the bullet train projects are being applied to the construction of the suburban rail system.

Key points

* Karnataka is witnessing major railway infrastructure upgrades, backed by a record budget allocation of ₹7,748 crore for the sector.

* At present, the state is served by 22 Vande Bharat trains, which operate as 11 pairs across different routes. Among these, 14 services either originate from or terminate in the Bengaluru region, highlighting the city’s importance as a major railway hub.