Railways to start Rs 270-cr workshop for Vande Bharat

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Railway Division is set to construct a new depot-cum-workshop near the Thanisandra railway station, with an estimated cost of Rs 270 crore.

Parikshit Mohanpuria, the Additional Divisional Railway Manager of Bengaluru Railway Division, made the announcement, stating that the facility will be dedicated to maintaining sleeper coaches of Vande Bharat.

These coaches, which Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected at a Bharat Earth Movers Limited facility, are expected to undergo maintenance at the new workshop by the end of the year.

Mohanpuria informed the media during a briefing at the DRM office on Sunday evening that the Railway Board has already approved the project.

Currently, the division is surveying the workshop and aims to have it ready before the arrival of the coaches.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to virtually lay the foundation stone for the development of trains on March 12.

During the same event, he will also inaugurate the Mysuru-MGR Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express and the Kalaburagi-SMVT Bengaluru-Kalaburagi Vande Bharat Express, along with eight other Vande Bharat trains across India.

The redeveloped goods shed at Penukonda, featuring improved infrastructure, and a Gati Shakti Multimodal Cargo Terminal at Oddarahalli near Doddaballapur will be dedicated to the nation.

Mohanpuria highlighted that the cargo terminal is expected to enhance rail cargo traffic, leading to the creation of direct and indirect employment opportunities.