Vande Bharat Express Bengaluru-Dharwad May Stretch Till Belagavi, Check Timings

The Vande Bharat Express, linking Bengaluru to Hubballi and Dharwad, is set to be extended further to Belagavi. The railway board greenlit the proposal forwarded by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, with an official announcement pending. Expectedly, this extension will be in place by the end of November, as per railway authorities.

In October, the Chief Minister urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to elongate the semi-high-speed Bengaluru-Dharwad Vande Bharat Express to encompass Belagavi. The move was prompted by demands from the people of Belagavi district, urging the CM to push for the train's extension to their city.

Reports confirm the railway board's approval of the proposal, anticipated to materialize by the end of November.

The train's extension to Belagavi necessitated a revision in its schedule, the details of which are soon to be disclosed.

Insider information from the railway department indicates a planned departure from KSR Railway Station at 5:45 am, arriving at Belagavi by 1:30 pm. Its return journey from Belagavi is scheduled at 2 pm, reaching KSR Bengaluru by 10:10 pm.

Railway authorities anticipate a significant reduction in travel time between these pivotal cities due to the train's extension. The Vande Bharat Express is poised to cover over 600 km in a mere 7 hours and 45 minutes, trimming the duration by roughly two hours.

Notably, the Bengaluru-Dharwad distance will now be covered in 5 hours and 35 minutes, with a designated commercial stop at Londa.

The doubling and electrification of the Dharwad-Belagavi line are near completion, save for an 8.1 km segment between the Vijayanagar-Miraj section, which is nearing its finish. Trial runs along this stretch are slated to commence next week. While fares remain undetermined, commercial operations are projected to kickstart by the end of November.