H.D. Kumaraswamy meets Ashwini Vaishnaw to speed up pending Railway projects in Karnataka

Bengaluru: Union Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) met Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday to push for key projects, notably the Chennai-Mysuru High-Speed Rail Corridor (CBM Bullet Train), Bengaluru-Sathyamangalam-Chamarajanagar railway line via the Kanakapura-Malavalli route.

The Railway Minister assured Kumaraswamy that all the critical Railway projects of Karnataka will be completed as per schedule. Discussing the projects for more than an hour, Kumaraswamy detailed his extensive consultation with the Minister, expressing satisfaction with Vaishnaw’s commitment to addressing Karnataka’s railway needs.

The Chennai-Mysuru Bullet Train project is a 435-km proposed High-Speed Rail line that will connect Chennai, Bengaluru and Mysuru through 9 stations in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

This is the sixth of six new high-speed rail corridors, planned by the Government of India in 2019, for which basic tendering activity commenced in December 2020 to prepare a DPR towards starting construction work.

Kumaraswamy also discussed Bengaluru-Sathyamangalam-Chamarajanagar railway line via Kanakapura-Malavalli. The ambitious project, initially sanctioned during the tenure of former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, is poised to significantly enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth in the region.

“I had a cordial meeting with Ashwini Vaishnaw and we discussed timely completion of delayed and ongoing railway projects in the State, the approval of new railway lines and securing financial assistance,” Kumaraswamy stated.

Kumaraswamy also conveyed the importance of realising the vision of PM Modi, emphasising how these railway projects align with broader national development goals.

This meeting marks a promising step forward in tackling Karnataka’s railway infrastructure challenges, potentially paving the way for improved transportation and economic opportunities across the State.