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Bengaluru-Pune High-Speed Rail Corridor Gets Positive Nod from Railway Minister

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and proposed a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Pune, receiving a positive response. The corridor is expected to drive overall development, particularly benefiting districts in Central and North Karnataka like Belagavi and Hubballi. However, state leaders like Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Minister M.B. Patil have critiqued other announced corridors for offering limited benefit within Karnataka. They argue projects like Bengaluru-Mumbai or Bengaluru-Mangaluru would be more impactful for the state.

Key Points: Bengaluru-Pune High-Speed Rail Corridor Proposal Gets Positive Response

  • Positive response from Railway Minister
  • Corridor to boost Central & North Karnataka
  • Faster connectivity from Pune to 6-7 districts
  • Part of 7 national high-speed corridors
  • State leaders seek more beneficial routes
2 min read

Railway Minister responded positively to Bengaluru-Pune high-speed rail corridor proposal, says Pralhad Joshi

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw responds positively to the Bengaluru-Pune high-speed rail corridor proposal, promising development for Central and North Karnataka.

"Union Minister Vaishnaw has responded positively to the proposal. - Pralhad Joshi"

New Delhi, Feb 4

Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi on Wednesday, during which he requested the construction of a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Pune.

Union Minister Joshi stated that the Railway Minister responded positively to the proposal.

"Soon after the Union government announced a total of seven high-speed rail corridors across the country in the recent Union Budget, Karnataka has now received positive indications of another high-speed rail corridor," Joshi stated.

"Following the initiative, deliberations have begun on establishing a new high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Pune. Union Minister Vaishnaw has responded positively to the proposal," he said.

Joshi explained to the Railway Minister that the Bengaluru-Pune high-speed rail corridor would enable overall development across large parts of Karnataka.

The corridor would particularly benefit Central and North Karnataka. Districts such as Belagavi, Hubballi, Haveri, Davanagere, Chitradurga and Tumakuru would gain significantly.

In addition, the corridor would facilitate faster travel and connectivity from Pune to six or seven districts of Karnataka, he underlined.

Given these advantages, Joshi urged the Railway Minister to take steps towards establishing the new high-speed rail corridor. The Railway Minister, in turn, responded positively to the request and assured support.

Referring to the announcement of two high-speed railway projects to Bengaluru-Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Chennai-Bengaluru, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said these projects would be of little benefit to Karnataka as they do not cover long distances within the state.

"If the Centre really wanted to help Karnataka, it should have announced Bengaluru-Mumbai and Bengaluru-Mangaluru high-speed rail projects," he added.

Notably, Karnataka Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil said on Sunday that while the Union Budget's announcement for developing high-speed rail corridors between Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Bengaluru-Chennai is welcome, it offers limited benefit.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
While I welcome the positive response, I hope the focus remains on overall development as mentioned. The benefits should reach the districts in Central and North Karnataka, not just the endpoints. We need balanced regional growth.
A
Aman W
CM Siddaramaiah has a point. Why announce Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Bengaluru-Chennai first if they offer "limited benefit" to Karnataka? The Bengaluru-Mumbai corridor via Pune makes much more sense for intra-state connectivity and development.
P
Priya S
As someone from Hubballi, this is the kind of infrastructure news we want to hear! Better connectivity to Pune and Bengaluru can bring so many opportunities for students and professionals. Fingers crossed it moves from proposal to reality soon.
M
Michael C
Positive indications are one thing, but we've seen many such proposals get stuck for years. The key is timely execution and transparent tendering. Hope the Railway Ministry follows through with a clear timeline and budget allocation.
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Karthik V
Great step forward! But let's also think about the last-mile connectivity. A high-speed train is useless if I can't get a smooth auto or bus ride from Tumakuru station to my village. Infrastructure planning needs to be holistic.

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