In a major push to Karnataka’s rail infrastructure, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced that a new high-speed bullet train corridor connecting Bengaluru and Pune via Hubballi and Belagavi will be included in the project’s upcoming second phase.
The announcement fulfills a longstanding regional demand to link Karnataka’s hinterland and industrial hubs directly with Maharashtra’s financial centers.
Expanding the High-Speed Rail Network
While the first phase of the national high-speed rail initiative spans approximately 4,000 km—incorporating corridors such as Bengaluru-Chennai (cutting travel time to 73 minutes) and Bengaluru-Hyderabad (reducing transit to 2 hours and 10 minutes)—local enthusiasm within Karnataka had remained tempered, as those alignments bypass the state’s interior.
Elected representatives and regional trade bodies had persistently lobbied for high-speed connectivity along the north-western spine of the state. Responding directly to these appeals, Vaishnaw confirmed that the Bengaluru–Hubballi–Belagavi–Pune corridor will feature prominently in the next phase, which will encompass roughly 3,000 km of high-speed tracks nationwide.
Major Boost to Vande Bharat Services
Alongside the bullet train network, the Railway Ministry unveiled a series of premium rail services aimed at improving inter-city and coastal connectivity across Karnataka:
- Inaugural Sleeper Run: Coinciding with Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations, the Railway Minister flagged off India’s third—and South India’s first—Vande Bharat Sleeper train, operating between Bengaluru and Mumbai via Kalaburagi.
- Western Corridor Sleeper: To cater to the heavy passenger volumes traversing North Karnataka, Vaishnaw announced that an additional Vande Bharat Sleeper service will be introduced between Bengaluru and Mumbai, routed via Hubballi and Belagavi.
- Coastal Link Near Readiness: Addressing travel bottlenecks between the state capital and coastal Karnataka, Vaishnaw confirmed that a Vande Bharat chair-car rake will begin operations on the Bengaluru–Mangaluru route shortly, noting that all necessary line testing and commissioning procedures are now complete.
The planned investments are expected to significantly slash intercity travel times, stimulate regional commerce across industrial belts in Hubballi and Belagavi, and provide seamless transit options across the Deccan and Western Ghats corridors.
