Bengaluru gets second direct train to Mumbai after three decades

BENGALURU: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday virtually flagged off a bi-weekly direct express train between KSR Bengaluru and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Mumbai.Ahead of the event, Minister of State for Railways V Somanna and Bengaluru Central MP P C Mohan travelled by Metro from MG Road Metro Station to Swami Vivekananda Metro Station to promote fuel conservation. They also interacted with fellow Metro commuters during the journey.Addressing the gathering, Somanna said the train would greatly benefit passengers travelling on one of the busiest routes and further boost Karnataka’s development.He highlighted that Karnataka currently operates 12 pairs of Vande Bharat trains covering 14 districts. He also noted that a Vande Bharat Sleeper maintenance depot would be established at Thanisandra at a cost of Rs 270 crore, along with a chair car maintenance facility at SMVT Bengaluru costing Rs 52.73 crore.This new train between Bengaluru and Mumbai is only the second direct service on the route apart from the Udyan Express, which began operations 30 years ago.Officials also stated that a faster Vande Bharat overnight sleeper train on the route would begin services soon.