PM Modi launches Bengaluru’s biggest transport upgrade

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 10 rolled out one of Bengaluru’s most ambitious transport overhauls in recent years, flagging off three Vande Bharat Express trains, inaugurating a new metro corridor, and laying the foundation for the city’s next phase of rapid transit expansion.

The day began at KSR Bengaluru Railway Station, where Modi flagged off three high-speed Vande Bharat trains — the KSR Bengaluru–Belagavi service, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra–Amritsar service, and the Nagpur (Ajni)–Pune service. With these additions, India’s Vande Bharat fleet now stands at 150, including 11 serving Karnataka.

From the railways to the metro, Modi then cut the ribbon on the 19-kilometre Yellow Line, linking RV Road (Ragigudda) to Bommasandra across 16 stations. Built at a cost of ₹7,160 crore under Phase-2, the line is set to connect residential neighbourhoods, commercial districts, and manufacturing hubs — taking Bengaluru’s operational metro network past 96 km and easing daily commutes for lakhs of passengers.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for Phase-3 of the Bengaluru Metro — a ₹15,610 crore project that will add over 44 km of elevated tracks and 31 stations, bolstering the city’s mass transit capacity. Modi is expected to ride the metro from RV Road to Electronic City before addressing a public gathering, where he will highlight the government’s vision for world-class urban mobility.

In a post ahead of his visit, Modi had written on X, “These projects will enhance connectivity, boost infrastructure, and improve ease of living for Bengaluru’s people.”

With the new trains, a major metro extension, and future corridors on the drawing board, latest launches mark a decisive step toward reshaping mobility in India’s Silicon Valley.