Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw indicated that a Vande Bharat Express service between Mangaluru and Bengaluru would be launched soon, as part of efforts to strengthen coastal connectivity in Karnataka.
The announcement came during the inauguration of ‘Aditya’, a specialised complex for manufacturing high-speed rail B-28 coaches at BEML’s Tippasandra campus in Bengaluru.
Coastal linkages in focus
Ashwini Vaishnaw said the proposed service has been planned with a broader objective of linking Madgaon and other coastal cities before rollout.
According to him, the key technical challenges on the route have been addressed, including electrification of the Hassan–Mangaluru section and the integration of Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) systems to enhance safety along steep coastal gradients.
He also noted that these upgrades are critical for operating semi-high-speed services on challenging terrain, particularly in the Western Ghats region.
Network expansion plans
Separately, the Indian Railways is working on enhancing connectivity between Mumbai and Bengaluru through the introduction of two new services. These include a Mail/Express train equipped with LHB coaches via Hubballi, and a Vande Bharat Sleeper Express, which is expected to commence operations in the near term.
Ashwini Vaishnaw underlined that high-speed rail technology remains “complex and intricate”, and said its development within India represents a significant milestone in indigenous engineering capability.
Transformational impact
Highlighting the broader economic implications, Ashwini Vaishnaw said high-speed rail corridors would effectively compress distances between major urban centres.
He cited the proposed reduction in travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru to about 73 minutes that would make the two cities function as an integrated economic hub.
Concluding the visit, Ashwini Vaishnaw commended the engineering teams at the Tippasandra facility, stating that their work on next-generation rolling stock would play a central role in advancing the vision of a developed India. He reiterated the government’s focus on aligning infrastructure expansion with sustainability and public awareness.