The South Western Railway sector has conducted a comprehensive assessment with the aim of initiating the prestigious Vande Bharat train service between Hospet and Bangalore via the Bellary-Guntakal route.
Y. Yamunesh, Chairman of the Vijayanagara Railway Development Action Committee, disclosed that the Southwest Railway Zone has recently completed a thorough review of launching the esteemed Vande Bharat train on the Bellary-Guntakal route between Hospet and Bangalore. They have subsequently issued directives to conduct a detailed survey to evaluate the availability of the necessary infrastructure for commencing the train service, as conveyed by Secretary Kuduthini Mahesh.
Notably, in the Hospet section, a high-capacity railway track has been constructed to withstand the demands of train speeds ranging from 100 to 130 kilometers per hour. The railway line connecting Hospet to Bangalore is fully electrified, features a double rail track, and boasts a water-filling facility for passenger coaches at the Hospet railway station. Moreover, Hospet serves as a pivotal hub for both tourism and industry, contributing to increased traffic between these two cities.
The Vande Bharat Express, a technologically advanced semi-high-speed train developed indigenously, made its debut in February 2019 under the auspices of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Presently, it operates between Dharwad-Bangalore and Mysore-Bangalore-Chennai within the state. The Ministry of Railways has expressed a strong interest in expanding the Vande Bharat train network to connect Bengaluru with key tourist destinations in Karnataka, citing positive passenger feedback. Consequently, there is a growing call to incorporate Hospet into the Vande Bharat rail network expeditiously. Furthermore, there is a proposal to establish a schedule that would see the proposed train departing Hospet at 6 am daily, arriving in Bangalore, and departing from there at 3 am to reach Hospet by 10 pm.
