The much-anticipated arrival of the Vande Bharat train in Belgaum seems to be a distant possibility at the moment. Despite a successful trial run, hopes for extending the Bangalore-Dharwad route to Belgaum are dashed as the railway department cites technical constraints. The primary reason given for this decision is the potential increase in travel time to 17-18 hours if the extension were to take place.
For the residents of Belgaum, the prospect of the ‘Vande Bharat’ train remains elusive, akin to a mirage. Despite earlier assurances from the Railway Department about the train’s extension to Belgaum in the near future, technical difficulties are once again invoked as a reason for the delay.
The demand for extending the Vande Bharat train to Belgaum arose when the service between Bangalore-Hubli-Dharwad was announced last year. Even the former Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai, during his visit to Belgaum in December, pledged to extend the service to the city.
However, when the Vande Bharat train commenced its service between Bangalore and Dharwad in June, the extension to Belgaum did not materialize, leaving Belgaum’s passengers disappointed. Following persistent efforts by the public and representatives, the Union Ministry of Railways eventually consented to extend the Vande Bharat train to Belgaum.
Despite a successful trial run conducted by the South Western Railway Department on November 21, concerns about travel time have resurfaced as a barrier to the train’s commencement to Belgaum. The department previously argued that the Dharwad-Londa-Belgaum route would slow down the train, causing a time deficit. However, the trial run demonstrated that the train adhered to the schedule set by the Railway Department.
Now, a month after the trial run, the South Western Railway Department cites a lack of time as the reason for not initiating the Vande Bharat service to Belgaum. An official from the department states that extending the train to Belgaum would increase the total travel time to 17-18 hours, deviating from the intended purpose of the Vande Bharat train, which is designed to return to its departure point within 12-13 hours. Consequently, starting the Vande Bharat service on the existing railway line between Bangalore and Belagavi appears challenging in this context.
