Sunday, 10 August 2025
Sunday, 10 August 2025
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Yellow Line of Bangalore Metro, which is expected to ease traffic congestion in several heavily congested corridors connecting the city's IT hub.
The over 19-km route from RV Road to Bommasandra of Bangalore Metro Phase-2 project worth around Rs 7,160 crore has 16 stations, officials said.
With the opening of the yellow line, the operational metro rail network in Bengaluru will increase to over 96 km serving a large population in the region.
According to officials, the new facility is expected to ease traffic congestion in several heavily congested corridors like Hosur Road, Silk Board Junction, and Electronics City Junction.
Noting that "3 train sets" have arrived for the yellow line and the fourth will arrive this month, Deputy CM and Minister in-charge for Bengaluru development, D K Shivakumar had recently said, three trains will operate now at an interval of 25 minutes.
The frequency would be increased to 10 minutes later.
PM flags off three Vande Bharat Express trains
While the much-awaited Bengaluru–Belagavi Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Modi in person; the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra–Amritsar, and Ajni (Nagpur)–Pune Vande Bharat services, were launched virtually.
These trains will significantly enhance regional connectivity, reduce travel time and provide a "world-class" travel experience to the passengers, officials said.
The Bengaluru–Belagavi Vande Bharat Express will be the 11th Vande Bharat service to operate in Karnataka.
Covering 611 km in just 8.5 hours, it is the fastest train between these two cities, saving approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from KSR Bengaluru to Belagavi and 1 hour 40 minutes from Belagavi – KSR Bengaluru compared to existing services, Railway officials said.
This train connects Bengaluru, India’s Silicon City, with Belagavi, a hub of premier medical and engineering institutions, fostering economic and educational opportunities, they said.
The route traverses Karnataka’s rich sugarcane belt, passing through key cities such as Dharwad, renowned for its prestigious educational institutions; Hubballi, a thriving commercial and industrial center; Haveri, an emerging agricultural hub; Davangere, popular for textiles and agriculture; and Tumakuru, a growing industrial and educational center.
This enhanced connectivity will benefit students, professionals, farmers, and traders by providing faster access to Bengaluru’s vast opportunities, while promoting economic growth and cultural exchanges across the region, the Railways said in a release.
After the inauguration, a special inaugural train (Train No. 06575) will run from KSR Bengaluru to Belagavi, departing at 11:15 AM and reaching Belagavi at 8:00 PM the same day, with stops at Yesvantpur, Tumakuru, Davangere, SMM Haveri, SSS Hubballi, and Dharwad, it said.
Priyank Kharge accuses BJP of 'hijacking' credit
Karnataka Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday criticised BJP for "hijacking" the credit for Yellow Line Phase 2, stating that Karnataka Government shouldered the bulk of the expenses, contributing over Rs 12,000 crore.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Kharge said, "The Metro project was launched under the UPA Government led by Manmohan Singh. In the first phase, the UPA Government bore a significant portion of the cost, outpacing the State Government's contribution," he wrote.
According to him, after BJP came to power, their commitment to the project dwindled, with the Central Government's share decreasing drastically in subsequent phases.
"The Karnataka Government has shouldered the bulk of the expenses, contributing over Rs 12,000 crore, covering land acquisition costs and additional expenses," he added.
The Central Government only provided Rs 8,000 crore for the project, he pointed out.
"This lack of support forced BMRCL to take loans to cover the remaining project costs. While Karnataka's contributions to the Centre continue to grow year after year, the returns to the state diminish, and the Yellow Line project is a glaring example of this," said Kharge.
Meanwhile, speaking to PTI Videos, Tejasvi Surya, MP of Bengaluru South, insisted that the PM "pushed for public infrastructure in Bengaluru", stating that between the Yellow Line and the proposed Orange Line that the PM is laying the foundation stone for on Sunday, 18 lakh commuters will benefit.
"But Congress tries to take credit for all the things in which they don't have any role. You may have seen recently, Congress tried to take credit for even the IPL victory," said Surya.
The credit for the success of it goes to the people of Bengaluru, nobody else, he added.
PM Modi is also scheduled to travel to the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Bengaluru, where he will be laying the foundation stone for Bangalore metro phase-3 and officially inaugurating the yellow line from RV Road (Ragigudda) to Bommasandra station, and address the gathering.
He will then travel by helicopter to the HAL Airport and fly back to Delhi at 2.45 pm.
