Kumaraswamy seeks Vande Bharat service linking Bengaluru with Goa via coastal Karnataka
New Delhi: Union Steel and Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy has written to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw urging the introduction of a Vande Bharat Express connecting Bengaluru with Madgaon in Goa through Hassan, Mangaluru, Udupi and Karwar, citing improved rail infrastructure and rising passenger demand along the route.
Kumaraswamy, in his letter pointed to the completion of electrification across the Western Ghat stretch between Sakleshpur and Subramanya Road and said that the section was now operationally ready for high-speed semi-premium services. In a report by Deccan Herald, Kumaraswamy said that the corridor serves a wide cross-section of passengers, including tourists, pilgrims, students and professionals, and it has also seen a steady growth in demand.
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The Janata Dal (Secular) leader said improved rail connectivity would strengthen links between Bengaluru and key commercial ports and tourism hubs in coastal Karnataka and Goa. This connectivity will contribute to regional economic activity and interstate mobility.
"The introduction of this service would address growing passenger demand, promote regional economic activity, boost tourism, and further inter-state connectivity-fully aligned with the Government's vision of an integrated, efficient, and modern rail network, " Kumaraswamy said.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
