Ashwini Vaishnaw flags off Mangaluru Vande Bharat service to Madgaon
The new rail link connects Bengaluru to Goa via coastal Karnataka and includes a ₹94 crore redevelopment plan for Mangaluru Central.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Mangaluru Vande Bharat service at Mangaluru Junction on Friday. According to a report by Urban Acres, the train connects Bengaluru to Madgaon, covering a route of approximately 850 km from Yeshwanthpur.
The service includes stops at Hassan, Sakleshpur, Subrahmanya Road, Mangaluru, Udupi, Kundapura, Mookambika Road Byndoor, Murdeshwar, Gokarna Road, Karwar, and Madgaon. The railway department stated the service is expected to improve connectivity and support tourism in coastal Karnataka and southern Goa.
During the launch, Vaishnaw announced that ₹94 crore has been sanctioned to develop Mangaluru Central into a model station. He also noted that the service was established despite various challenges.
MP Captain Brijesh Chota said the railway network in Mangaluru is currently divided between Konkan Railway, Southern Railway, and South Western Railway. He mentioned that the Subrahmanya Road–Sakleshpur line was electrified at a cost of approximately ₹100 crore and that Subrahmanya Road station was renovated under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for ₹25 crore.
Mangaluru MLA Vedavyas Kamath noted that the Railway Minister promised a special team from Delhi would investigate the Pandeshwar railway crossing issue. The launch event also saw the resumption of the Mangaluru–Subrahmanya Road passenger train and the start of regional infrastructure works.