Bengaluru commuters heading to the coast may soon enjoy a faster and far more comfortable rail journey, with a Vande Bharat Express likely to connect the city to Mangaluru in the near future.
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Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna has hinted that the much-awaited semi-high-speed train service is finally on track, raising hopes among travellers who regularly commute between Bengaluru and the coastal hub. He confirmed that the proposed Vande Bharat service is planned on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route, a long-pending demand for both business and leisure travellers from the state capital.
Taking to social media late Monday night, Somanna said the wait was almost over for the Mangaluru region, saying that the iconic Vande Bharat trains could soon be seen running through Karnataka’s scenic Western Ghats. “The time is near when the Vande Bharat train, which has been a long-standing demand of the people of the Mangalore region, will start running,” he posted.
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{{/usCountry}}A key development clearing the path for the new service is the completion of electrification work on the challenging 55-km ghat section between Sakaleshpura and Subrahmanya Road, reported news agency PTI.
Calling it a major infrastructure milestone, Somanna said the electrification enables full electric traction on the route, making train operations cleaner, quicker, and more energy-efficient. The upgrade also strengthens the rail network between Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka.
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Interestingly, the minister’s announcement came in response to a social media post by former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai, who had once again flagged the long-standing demand for a Vande Bharat train between Bengaluru and Mangaluru.
(With inputs from PTI)