₹7,748 crore rail boost for Karnataka: New trains, new stops & mega terminal to transform Bengaluru connectivity

Union Budget allocation accelerates railway projects across Karnataka as MoS V Somanna flags off four express trains, announces Nayandahalli halt, Yelahanka mega terminal plan, and key infrastructure upgrades.

Union Minister of State for Railways and Jal Shakti, V Somanna, on Tuesday announced that Karnataka has received a massive allocation of ₹7,748 crore in the Union Budget for railway development, giving a major push to infrastructure expansion across the state.

Addressing a gathering after flagging off four pairs of express trains at Nayandahalli railway station, Somanna said railway projects worth ₹52,950 crore are already under implementation in Karnataka. He stated that the fresh budget allocation will further speed up ongoing and upcoming works, significantly improving rail connectivity.

As part of the event, a long-pending demand of local residents was fulfilled with the introduction of an official stoppage for express trains at Nayandahalli station. The new halt is expected to greatly benefit daily commuters, students, workers, and passengers travelling between Bengaluru, Mysuru, Bagalkot, Tamil Nadu, Hubballi-Dharwad, and Pandharpur.

Somanna highlighted that quadrupling work on the crucial Bengaluru Cantonment–Whitefield corridor is progressing rapidly. He also announced plans to develop a Mega Coaching Terminal at Yelahanka, which, once completed, is set to become the largest such facility in the country. The terminal will significantly enhance train operations, maintenance capacity, and passenger services.

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The minister said Indian Railways is witnessing unprecedented growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with long-pending projects now moving at a faster pace. He added that the Centre is actively eliminating level crossings by building road underbridges and overbridges to improve public safety and ease traffic congestion.

Nayandahalli falls under the Govindarajanagar Assembly constituency, which Somanna had earlier represented. During his tenure, he had also facilitated the construction of the Dr Puneeth Rajkumar Multi-Specialty Hospital through the BBMP.

Residents of Chandra Layout, Suvarna Layout, ITI Layout, Nagarabhavi, RR Nagar, Kathriguppe, and Hosakerehalli are expected to benefit significantly from the new train halt.
The four train pairs flagged off with an additional stop at Nayandahalli include:

•    16215/16216 Mysuru-KSR Bengaluru Chamundi Express
•    17307/17308 Mysuru-Bagalkot-Mysuru Basava Express
•    16235/16236 Tuticorin-Mysuru-Tuticorin Express
•    16535/16536 Mysuru-Pandharpur-Mysuru Golgumbaz Express

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Somanna also inaugurated a new Road over Bridge (RoB) connecting Vijayanagar and Padarayanapura, built at a cost of ₹14 crore. The bridge is expected to reduce congestion and improve mobility for residents of Goripalya, Vijayanagar, and surrounding areas.