Mangaluru: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that a new Vande Bharat service between Mangaluru and Bengaluru will begin on Saturday, linking the coastal region with the state capital.
"This is a very important service. It will connect the two major hubs in Karnataka," Vaishnaw said before inspecting the train here on Friday.
He said that challenges posed by the steep ghat section, including modifications needed for electrification and the train, have been resolved. The minister also announced the start of an FM transmitter in Udupi.
On the proposed merger of Konkan Railway with Indian Railways, Vaishnaw said that efforts are underway but require the consent of the shareholder state governments of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, besides the Centre.
"I’ve been requesting the chief ministers of all four states. As and when that materialises, it can happen. It depends on the chief ministers," he said.
Vaishnaw said doubling of tracks is important and has been taken up, with the final location survey and detailed project report already approved. He noted that the second line is being designed with a more moderate gradient in the ghats to avoid problems faced on the existing line.
Responding to Karnataka minister M B Patil’s remarks that major railway projects in the state are being excluded, Vaishnaw called the claim 'absolutely wrong'.
Only after Narendra Modi became PM has Karnataka got justice, he said, adding, "Today, almost Rs 75,000 crore worth projects are ongoing in Karnataka, he said, citing the bullet train, several Vande Bharat trains including the sleeper version, and large-scale station redevelopment".
He added that such work was never seen earlier and asked Patil to check the railway budget allocation during the then Congress government in the state.