Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually inaugurates Train No. 16553/54 SMVT Bengaluru–Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express on May 17, 2026.
Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw virtually flagged off the new SMVT Bengaluru-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express (Train No. 16553/54) on May 17, 2026, strengthening direct rail connectivity between Karnataka and Maharashtra. He announced that the Vande Bharat Sleeper service between Bengaluru and Mumbai is expected to commence soon.
On railway infrastructure in Karnataka, he noted that 61 stations are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at a cost of Rs 2,160 crore, with nine already completed. Bengaluru Cantonment station is being redeveloped at Rs 485 crore and Yeshwantpur at Rs 367 crore. Since 2014, approximately 1,750 km of new railway lines have been constructed in the state and electrification works on the Hassan–Mangaluru section have been completed with testing ongoing. On the Bengaluru Suburban Railway Project, work is progressing across all four corridors, with land acquisition completed for the Baiyappanahalli-Chikkabanavara and Heelalige-Rajanukunte corridors. The KSR Bengaluru-Devanahalli alignment has been jointly approved by the state government and Railways, while the Kengeri–Whitefield alignment has recently been approved with survey work to commence shortly.
Union Minister of State for Railways, Shri V. Somanna noted that Karnataka operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains covering 14 districts. A Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot will be established at Thanisandra at a cost of Rs 270 crore, alongside a chair car maintenance facility at SMVT Bengaluru at Rs 52.73 crore. Capacity enhancement works include doubling of the Baiyappanahalli-Hosur line at Rs 1,116 crore, the Bettahalasuru–Rajanukunte section at Rs 248 crore and quadrupling works around Bengaluru at Rs 1,347 crore.
Automatic signalling works across key sections including Yesvantpur, KSR Bengaluru, Lottegollahalli, Baiyappanahalli, Penukonda, Mysuru and Jolarpettai are being implemented at a total cost of Rs 6,396 crore. Karnataka has received a record railway budget allocation of Rs 7,748 crore. Since 2014, approximately 3,840 km of railway lines have been developed and 3,742 km electrified, taking the state close to 100% electrification. The number of road over bridges and road under bridges has risen from approximately 150 before 2014 to 707 currently, with 146 more to be completed within a year and all level crossings targeted for elimination within three years.
Source: Press Information Bureau (PIB)
