Bangalore-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express to Be Extended to Belagavi, Confirms Union Minister

Following months of anticipation, the extension of the Bangalore-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express to Belagavi has been officially confirmed.

Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, V. Somanna, announced the development on X by sharing a letter signed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, marking the formal approval of this much-awaited extension.

Somanna added to the post,

“Pleased to share that the Vande Bharat Express service between Bengaluru and Belagavi will commence shortly. Acting on the request submitted to Hon’ble Union Minister for Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw ji, for the extension of the Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat up to Belagavi, and in view of the growing passenger demand, approval has now been granted for a new Vande Bharat Express on this important route.”

For the unversed, the Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express has been in operation since June 2023, when it was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express starts from KSR Bangalore City Junction and transits through Tumkur, Davangere, SSS Hubballi Junction, and Dharwad.

However, there was a long-standing demand for extending the train to Belagavi, which has now been accepted.

The current travel time between Bangalore and Belagavi by train is approximately 10 hours.

With the upcoming extension of the Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express to Belagavi, this duration is expected to drop considerably.

However, the launch date for the extended service has not been revealed yet.

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