Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced a new Vande Bharat train connecting Mangaluru and Bengaluru, launching on November 14, 2026. The route required engineering work through hilly terrain. Vaishnaw also cited ₹75,000 crore worth of ongoing rail projects in Karnataka, including bullet trains and Vande Bharat sleeper trains, and discussions on merging Konkan Railway with Indian Railways.