Belagavi-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express Gets Green Light

North Karnataka is set to receive its fourth Vande Bharat Express Train (VBET), connecting Belagavi with Bengaluru, following recent approval from the Railway Ministry. This new route addresses the long-standing demand to extend the existing Dharwad–Bengaluru VBET service to Belagavi.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi announced that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the approval in a letter dated May 6, following initial communication on April 28. "With the Bengaluru–Dharwad train departing Bengaluru in the morning, the new Belagavi–Bengaluru–Belagavi service is expected to operate in the opposite direction, starting from Belagavi in the morning," Joshi explained.

The train will depart from Belagavi in the morning and return from Bengaluru in the afternoon. While the service has been approved, the official launch date is yet to be announced. Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar noted that a trial run between Belagavi and Bengaluru had been conducted in 2023 but was postponed due to technical issues at Londa junction.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.