Pics: Union minister of state for railways V Somanna lays the foundation stone for a Road Under Bridge (RUB) at the 4th Railway Gate in Anagol, Belagavi on MondayBelagavi: Union minister of state for railways V Somanna announced that the railway department undertook approximately 300 road over bridge (ROB) and road under bridge (RUB) projects across Karnataka, all funded entirely by the Central govt.Addressing media persons on Monday, the minister spoke after laying the foundation stone for a RUB at the Fourth Railway Gate in Anagol, Belagavi. Later in the evening, he laid another foundation stone for a RUB at the Khanapur Railway Station Yard and flagged off the Hubballi–Dadar Central Express, which now includes an additional stoppage at Khanapur.Somanna highlighted that several ROBs and RUBs are under way in Belagavi, Hubballi, and Dharwad, including two RUBs in Tilakwadi, Belagavi. Under the Amrit Bharat Scheme, Karnataka increased its number of modernised railway stations from 61 to 66, backed by Rs 2,000 crore in central funding. For Belagavi district, the following station upgrades have been sanctioned: Rs 18.5 crore for Ghataprabha, Rs 18.6 crore for Raibag, Rs 15 crore for Belagavi, and Rs 17 crore for Gokak.Regarding the long-pending Belagavi–Dharwad railway line via Kittur, Somanna confirmed that tenders were floated. Land acquisition in Belagavi district is 100% complete, while 45 acres remain to be acquired in Dharwad due to technical issues. “We are not receiving adequate cooperation from the Dharwad district minister. However, I will make another attempt to speak with minister Santosh Lad,” Somanna stated. The railway department earmarked Rs 937 crore for the Belagavi–Dharwad line, and work is expected to begin soon, he said.In a surprise announcement, Somanna hinted at the possibility of introducing a sleeper coach Vande Bharat train between Belagavi and Bengaluru, responding to public demand. “There is strong demand from Belagavi residents for a sleeper coach Vande Bharat train, and the prospects look promising,” he said. The recently launched Vande Bharat Express between Belagavi and Bengaluru faced criticism over its inconvenient timing, prompting calls for a revised schedule or alternative service.The event was attended by Belagavi MP Jagadish Shettar, Karwar MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Rajya Sabha MP Iranna Kadadi, MLA Abhay Patil, and senior railway officials.
