The long-anticipated direct weekly train connecting Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh with Bengaluru, Karnataka’s capital, began operations on Thursday. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia inaugurated the service by waving the green flag at Gwalior station. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw joined the launch virtually from Jabalpur and Delhi, respectively.
Yadav described the Gwalior–SMVT Bengaluru Weekly Express as a valuable opportunity for local youth pursuing careers in the IT sector, allowing them direct access to Bengaluru. He emphasized that this train will serve as a vital transportation link for the Gwalior-Chambal area.
Reflecting on the railway’s progress, he recalled that expansion in the Gwalior region had begun when late Madhavrao Scindia served as Union minister. Yadav also announced that a state cabinet meeting would soon convene in Gwalior—considered the ‘karmabhoomi’ of BJP leaders Vijayaraje Scindia and Atal Bihari Vajpayee—on the occasion of Vajpayee’s birth centenary.
Vaishnaw called the new train a “significant gift” for the region, highlighting that numerous railway initiatives have been sanctioned for Madhya Pradesh, with projects worth over ₹24,000 crore approved last year alone. He added that in preparation for the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Ujjain, the Railway Ministry would ensure smooth travel to the holy city.
Scindia described the day as historic, noting the train would strengthen Gwalior’s ties with southern India. He mentioned Bengaluru station’s namesake, engineer M. Visvesvaraya, who designed Tighra dam—Gwalior’s primary water source.