Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually flags off Bengaluru–Mumbai express train

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday virtually flagged off a new express train service between Bengaluru and Mumbai, boosting rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra. Speaking on the occasion, Vaishnaw said, the long-pending demands of people in South and North Karnataka are now being fulfilled. He also announced that the Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to begin soon. Highlighting railway infrastructure growth, the Minister said Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains. Vaishnaw said the rail network connecting Mumbai, Bengaluru and other major cities is planned to expand to seven thousand kilometres in the long term. On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, Vaishnaw said work is progressing on all four corridors. He added that bullet train corridors connecting Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai have also been approved.

Transforming Bengaluru’s urban mobility!

Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project gathers pace, with rapid progress across all four corridors. pic.twitter.com/42jRMKl5j4

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) May 17, 2026

In Bengaluru, addressing the gathering, Minister of State for Railways V. Somanna said a Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot will be set up at Thanisandra at a cost of Rs270 crore , while a chair car maintenance facility will be established at SMVT Bengaluru at a cost of over Rs52 crore. The Railway Ministry said that under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 61 railway stations are being redeveloped in Karnataka at a cost of more than Rs2,000 crore, with work already completed at nine stations. It also noted that over 1,700 kilometres of new railway lines have been laid in the state since 2014. 

(State Correspondent)