‘Once-in-a-lifetime chance, huge boon for us,’ says school student at KSR Railway Station ahead of PM Modi’s Vande Bharat flag-off in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Locals in Karnataka, especially school students, expressed excitement ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on Sunday to launch several development projects, calling it a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Preparations are in full swing across the state to welcome the Prime Minister.

While speaking  at KSR Railway Station, a school student said, “It is a great opportunity to meet the Prime Minister. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the pride of India. I am really grateful for this moment. The Prime Minister focusing on Karnataka is a huge boon for us, and we are happy.”

Another school student said, “I am very excited that the Prime Minister is coming today. He is going to inaugurate the Vande Bharat train. I have never been in the Vande Bharat train, and I am very excited.”

At around 11:15 am, PM Modi will flag off three Vande Bharat Express trains from Bengaluru. It includes trains from Bengaluru to Belagavi, Amritsar to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Nagpur (Ajni) to Pune.

The high-speed train will pass through eight districts of the state and operate six days a week, except Wednesdays. It will link the state capital, Bengaluru, with Kundanagari, Belagavi.

The service will halt at six district headquarters and connect key regions, including Kittur, Karnataka, and South Karnataka, with Bengaluru. From Belagavi, the train will depart at 5:20 am and arrive in Bengaluru at 1:50 pm. The return journey will start at 2:20 pm from Bengaluru and end in Belagavi at 10:40 pm.

#WATCH | Karnataka: Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with children after flagging off 3 Vande Bharat Express trains at KSR Railway Station in Bengaluru

It includes trains from Bengaluru to Belagavi, Amritsar to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Nagpur (Ajni) to Pune.… pic.twitter.com/o8mDPBoguw

— ANI (@ANI) August 10, 2025

Along its route, the train will serve major cities such as Tumakuru, Davanagere, Haveri, Hubballi, and Dharwad, providing a faster and more efficient travel option for passengers.

Thereafter, he will flag off the Yellow Line of the Bangalore Metro and undertake a metro ride from RV Road (Ragigudda) to Electronic City metro station.

At around 1 pm, the Prime Minister will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of urban connectivity projects in Bengaluru. He will also address a public function.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Yellow line from RV Road (Ragigudda) to Bommasandra of the Bangalore Metro Phase-2 project, having a route length of over 19 km with 16 stations worth around Rs 7,160 crore. With the opening of this yellow line, the operational metro network in Bengaluru will increase to over 96 km, serving a large population in the region.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of the Bangalore Metro Phase-3 project worth over Rs 15,610 crore. The total route length of the project will be more than 44 km with 31 elevated stations.

This infrastructure project will address the growing transportation needs of the city, catering to residential, industrial, commercial and educational areas. (ANI)