In a positive development for passengers, the Ministry of Railways has announced the extension of services for the KSR Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express, the 21st semi-high speed train in the country. Originally flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 27, 2023, and operated by the South Western Railway (SWR) zone, this train’s services will now reach Belagavi.
The new route of the KSR Bengaluru-Belagavi Vande Bharat Express covers a distance of 611 km in less than eight hours, making it the fastest train on the route, surpassing the Rani Chennamma Express and SBC-BGM Express, both of which take 9 hours and 50 minutes and 10 hours and 35 minutes, respectively, to cover the same distance.
The KSR Bengaluru-Belagavi Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to run six days a week, excluding Tuesdays. The train consists of eight coaches, including AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car, with a total passenger capacity of 530.
The extension of this Vande Bharat Express to Belagavi is expected to significantly enhance connectivity in the region, offering benefits to passengers by reducing travel time by more than an hour. This extension facilitates improved connectivity between northern and central Karnataka.
In a broader context, the Ministry of Railways has recently extended the routes of two more semi-high speed trains, namely, the Ahmedabad-Jamnagar Vande Bharat Express extended up to Udhna, and the Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express extended up to Prayagraj, further enhancing the rail network’s reach and convenience for passengers.