Bengaluru: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to flag off the Yeshwantpur–Mangaluru–Madgaon Vande Bharat Express in Bengaluru on Friday, Karnataka’s power infrastructure is gearing up for a historic milestone, with the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) successfully putting in place a robust transmission network to power the train’s journey through the newly electrified Sakaleshpur–Subrahmanya Road section of the Western Ghats.
Given the stringent deadlines and engineering challenges involved in the project, the energy minister held a series of review meetings and ensured round-the-clock coordination among KPTCL, Railway authorities and other officials to fast-track the works, according to senior officials from the Karnataka Energy Department. Their technical expertise, commitment and coordinated efforts deserve appreciation,” Minister George said. “The new rail connectivity will make travel between Bengaluru and coastal Karnataka more convenient while opening up fresh opportunities for tourism, hospitality and local economic activity in destinations such as Mangaluru, Udupi, Murudeshwar and Gokarna,” the minister added. During Vande Bharat operations, technical personnel will be stationed at key KPTCL substations and connection points to undertake 24×7 monitoring,” Manohar said.
“Building transmission infrastructure through the Western Ghats was no ordinary engineering assignment. Steep gradients, inaccessible terrain, heavy rainfall and complex geographical conditions posed formidable obstacles. Despite these challenges, KPTCL engineers and technical personnel worked relentlessly to establish the necessary transmission connectivity, strengthen the grid and put reliable power-supply systems in place. “Transmission infrastructure has been developed in phases to ensure reliable traction power despite the challenging conditions of the Western Ghats.
Ahead of Prime Minister’s official flag-off on Friday, Energy Minister KJ George said the state had prioritised the development of critical transmission infrastructure to ensure an uninterrupted power supply for electric train operations.
