Belagavi Member of Parliament Jagadish Shettar has appealed to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to operate the proposed Bengaluru–Mumbai Sleeper Vande Bharat Express via Tumakuru– Davanagere– Hubballi– Belagavi– Pune, instead of the currently proposed route through Kalaburagi and Solapur.
During a meeting with the Railway Minister in New Delhi, Shettar submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting the importance of the Belagavi route. He emphasized that the Bengaluru– Hubballi– Belagavi– Pune corridor is one of Karnataka’s most significant industrial, educational, commercial and agricultural belts and deserves to be included in the country’s premium rail network.
In his representation, Shettar pointed out that Belagavi is Karnataka’s second capital and a major hub for industries, education, aerospace, defence-related manufacturing and healthcare. He also highlighted that the district, known as the Sugar Bowl of Karnataka, is home to more than 13 sugar industries and attracts people from several states for medical treatment at KLE Dr. Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Medical Research Centre.
The MP stated that operating the Sleeper Vande Bharat via Belagavi would benefit lakhs of passengers from North Karnataka while maintaining regional balance in railway connectivity. He urged the Railway Ministry to reconsider the alignment and route the train through Tumakuru– Davanagere– Hubballi– Belagavi– Pune– Mumbai.
According to Shettar, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw gave a positive response during the meeting and assured him that the request would be considered on priority in the coming days.
The proposal has raised hopes among passengers, industries and business communities across North Karnataka, who have been demanding a premium overnight rail service connecting Bengaluru, Belagavi, Pune and Mumbai.
