Bengaluru Mangaluru Four Track Rail Corridor Under Consideration Union Minister V Somanna

Bengaluru: The central government is considering a four-track railway line between Bengaluru and Mangaluru, union minister of state for railways and jal shakti V Somanna said Monday, while outlining plans to expand the rail infrastructure in Karnataka.Speaking at the inauguration of a road overbridge in Bengaluru, Somanna said similar four-track railway corridors would also be developed to cities within a 100-km radius of Bengaluru, according to a state industries department statement.The announcement came after Karnataka industries minister MB Patil raised several demands related to railway infrastructure in the state. Patil sought four-track railway lines connecting Bengaluru with Tumakuru, Mysuru, Hindupur along Gauribidanur and Kolar.Somanna, who represents Tumakuru in the Lok Sabha, said the survey for the Bengaluru-Tumakuru quadrupling project has been completed and the tendering process will begin shortly. The project is expected to be completed within 18-24 months.The Centre has also decided to undertake a survey for the proposed Bengaluru-Mysuru four-track railway line, he said.Responding to Patil's demand for improved rail connectivity to Kolar, Somanna said a direct rail link would be created by extending the existing four-track railway line beyond Whitefield. The Centre will undertake the required land acquisition, he said.Patil pitched for faster rail connectivity between Bengaluru and the coastal city of Mangaluru, proposing a parallel road and railway corridor between Sakleshpur and Gundya to improve connectivity.Calling the proposal constructive , Somanna said a quadruple railway line between Bengaluru and Mangaluru was necessary and would be accorded priority. Better rail connectivity to the port city would deliver significant economic and logistical benefits, he said.Somanna said work on the Tumakuru-Chitradurga-Davanagere railway line is progressing at a fast pace. He said Patil's request for doubling the line on the route would be considered.On Patil's request for a Vande Bharat Sleeper service to Vijayapura, Somanna said the train is expected to be introduced within the next three to four months. He said the Centre plans to introduce a Vande Bharat Sleeper, instead of the regular Vande Bharat service, and a formal decision would be made shortly.He announced that the special twice-weekly train between Bengaluru and Vijayapura would be converted into a permanent service and minor operational issues on the route would be addressed.Referring to the proposed high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Pune and Mumbai, Somanna said the demand was justified and efforts would be made to take the project forward as it would connect the country's IT capital with its financial capital Mumbai.Bengaluru Rural MP CN Manjunath, Bengaluru South deputy commissioner Yashavantha Gurikar, Southwestern Railway chief administrative officer AK Gupta, additional divisional railway manager Praveen Katarki, infrastructure department joint secretary Chandrashekhara and other senior officials attended the programme.