Chief Minister Pramod Sawant addressing the gathering to welcome the launch of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Margao Vande Bharat express train launched by PM Narendra Modi at Bengaluru on Friday. Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Terming the launch of the Bengaluru-Mangaluru-Margao Vande Bharat Express by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a historic day for Goa, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Friday said the new train service connecting the country’s IT capital with its tourism capital would provide a major boost to education, employment, tourism, trade and commerce between the two states.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by PWD Minister Digambar Kamat, visited Margao railway station to witness the launch of the Vande Bharat Express from Bengaluru on Friday afternoon.
Addressing a gathering at Margao railway station, Sawant said the train would benefit Goan youth working in the IT sector and those pursuing higher education in Bengaluru. It would also attract tourists from the IT capital to Goa, besides strengthening trade and commerce between the two states.
The Chief Minister recalled that he had personally requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023 to sanction two trains connecting Goa with Pune in Maharashtra and Bengaluru in Karnataka. “There was a reason behind my request to the Prime Minister. Apart from Mumbai and Delhi, our youth travel to Pune and Bengaluru for education and employment, particularly in the IT sector. The Prime Minister instructed Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to initiate the process. Since then, I have been continuously following up with the Railway Minister,” Sawant said.
He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for giving the people of Goa what he described as a special gift in the form of the Vande Bharat Express.
Stating that the project had cost the government Rs 93 crore, Sawant said the train would cover the 670-km distance between Bengaluru and Margao in approximately 13 hours.
He said the journey would offer passengers, particularly tourists, an opportunity to experience the scenic Western Ghats and the coastal belt of Karnataka and Goa. The service would also promote temple tourism along the Mangaluru-Goa route, covering destinations such as Gokarna, Murudeshwar, Karwar, Kundapur and Honnavar.
Highlighting the improvement in the country’s infrastructure, Sawant said railway, port and road connectivity had received a significant boost under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. He added that improved connectivity and better amenities had encouraged people from the middle and upper-middle classes to increasingly opt for train travel.
PWD Minister Digambar Kamat, while addressing the gathering, said the Vande Bharat Express would further strengthen railway connectivity between Bengaluru and Goa and provide people with a convenient travel option.
Goa seeks rail link from Mopa to Canacona, station at Mayem
MARGAO: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said that the Goa government has requested the Union Railway Ministry to sanction two to three fast trains connecting Mopa with Canacona and establish a railway station at Mayem.
Expressing confidence that both proposals would soon become a reality, Sawant said the proposed train services would provide a major boost to connectivity between Mopa International Airport and South Goa.
He said the trains would operate between Sindhudurg in Maharashtra and Karwar via Goa, with two to three services running daily in either direction. “I have proposed to the Centre that fast trains be sanctioned to establish Mopa-Canacona connectivity in the near future. These trains will operate from one end to the other, connecting Sindhudurg in Maharashtra with Goa and Karwar, with two to three services daily,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that once the services become operational, passengers arriving at Mopa airport would be able to reach Margao and Canacona within half an hour, instead of undertaking the journey by road. Acknowledging that the proposal had been delayed due to route constraints and the availability of trains, Sawant expressed confidence that the Centre would approve it in the coming days.
On the proposed Mayem railway station, the Chief Minister said the facility would significantly benefit people in Sattari and Bicholim talukas and accelerate development in the region. Referring to ongoing railway infrastructure upgrades in the state, Sawant said the existing railway stations at Margao and Thivim were being modernised under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision. He said the Thivim railway station had been upgraded under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, providing state-of-the-art amenities for passengers.
