PM Modi flags off 3 Vande Bharat trains in Bengaluru; Belagavi gets second semi-high-speed train

Ashutosh Kumar Singh, Divisional Railway Manager, Bengaluru, said there was a constant demand for this service from Belagavi to Bengaluru.

“This is the eleventh Vande Bharat train for Karnataka. We are expecting full ridership on the train. Before launching the train, we conducted a demand survey… Demands were made by the local representative as well,” Singh told The Indian Express.

माननीय प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी ने 3 नई #VandeBharatExpress ट्रेनों को हरी झंडी दिखाकर रवाना किया।

– केएसआर बेंगलुरु-बेलगावि वंदे भारत एक्सप्रेस
– श्री माता वैष्णो देवी कटड़ा-अमृतसर वंदे भारत एक्सप्रेस
– नागपुर (अजनी) – पुणे वंदे भारत एक्सप्रेस pic.twitter.com/Wa1BHQnWup

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) August 10, 2025

The KSR Bengaluru-Belagavi Vande Bharat Express has an eight-car configuration with a seating capacity of 530. This is the fastest train on the route, covering 611 km in just eight and a half hours, about one hour and 20 minutes less than other trains. This service links Belagavi, known for its medical and engineering institutions, with Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India.

According to the Railways, the train, passing through a rich sugarcane belt, is expected to foster economic growth and provide connectivity to diverse communities. The train travels through Dharwad, known for educational institutions; Hubballi, a major commercial and industrial centre; Haveri, a growing agricultural hub; Davangere, renowned for its textile and agricultural contributions; and Tumakuru, an emerging industrial and educational centre.

Of the other two trains, the Ajni (Nagpur)-Pune Vande Bharat Express will cover the Nagpur, Wardha, Amravati, Akola, Jalgaon, Nashik, Ahilyanagar, and Pune districts. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Amritsar Vande Bharat Express will cover Reasi, Jammu, Pathankot, Jalandhar, and Amritsar.

As many as 6.3 crore passengers have travelled through Vande Bharat trains since its first commercial journey on February 17, 2019, between New Delhi and Varanasi.

The Railways ministry has planned to introduce 200 more Vande Bharat trains in the next three years.