Bengaluru Dharwad Vande Bharat: The Vande Bharat Express train connecting Bengaluru to Hubballi and Dharwad will now be extended till Belagavi. As per official reports, the railway board has approved the proposal sent by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and an official announcement is awaited. According to railway officials, the extension is likely to be implemented by November end.
The Chief Minister in the month of October wrote to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw requesting to extend the sem-high-speed Bengaluru- Dharwad Vande Bharat Express till Belagavi. The request was made after the people of Belagavi district demanded the CM to put pressure on the Centre to extend the train to the city.
According to reports, the railway board has extended the proposal and is expected to be implemented by November end. With the extension of the train till Belagavi, the timings of the train have been revised and are likely to be released soon.
Tentative time schedule of Vande Bharat train:
Now, the train is expected to depart from KSR Railway Station at around 5:45 am and will reach its destination Belagavi at 1:30 pm. The same train will depart from Belagavi at 2:00 pm and reach KSR Bengaluru at 10:10 pm.
The railway officials said that due to the extension of the train, the travel time will be significantly reduced between the two important cities of the state. The Vande Bharat Express is likely to cover a distance of over 600 km in 7 hours and 45 minutes. The train will reduce the time taken by around two hours.
The distance between Bengaluru and Dharwad will be covered within 5:35 minutes. The train will have a commercial stoppage at Londa.
Siddaramaiah letter to Ashwini Vaishnaw:
Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote a letter to the Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw seeking an extension of the Vande Bharat express train services from Bengaluru to Hubbali-Dharwad up to the bordering city of Belagavi.
CM Siddaramaiah stated in the letter, “The union government commenced its Vande Bharat Express train service between Bengaluru and Hubballi- Dharwad, the second Vande Bharat Express in Karnataka on June 27, 2023. It has brought a paradigm shift in the connectivity of the region between Dharwad, Hubballi and Davangere with Bengaluru. Belagavi is a significant vantage point for industrialists, students and tourists."
He added that Belagavi is an economically vibrant district harbouring sugar aluminium and major industries and also a support base for automobile and aerospace Industries apart from several small and medium industries.
It is a tourist destination with a rich cultural and historical background, he said, adding "I request you to extend the Bengaluru to Hubli- Dharwad Vande Bharat train service to Belagavi city. This will significantly boost the connectivity between the states of Karnataka Goa and Maharashtra," the letter read.
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