Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs, Pralhad Joshi, met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi to propose a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Pune. Joshi mentioned that Vaishnaw responded positively to the idea, following the announcement of seven high-speed rail corridors in the recent Union Budget.
Joshi highlighted that the new corridor would foster development in large parts of Karnataka, especially benefiting Central and North Karnataka regions like Belagavi, Hubballi, and Tumakuru. He emphasized that the corridor would enhance connectivity between Pune and several districts in Karnataka, promoting faster travel.
Encouraged by the potential benefits, Joshi urged the Railway Minister to move forward with the Bengaluru-Pune high-speed rail corridor. In response, Vaishnaw assured his support for the project, signaling progress towards its establishment.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed concerns about the limited coverage of the announced high-speed rail projects like Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Chennai-Bengaluru, urging for projects that cover longer distances within Karnataka, such as Bengaluru-Mumbai and Bengaluru-Mangaluru routes.
