Belagavi: With the Union Budget approaching, Belagavi and other parts of North Karnataka are once again pinning hopes on faster execution of long-pending railway projects. Despite repeated announcements and approvals over the years, several proposed railway lines in the border district continue to progress at a sluggish pace.
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Railway expansion towards eastern Belagavi has been a long-standing demand, dating back to the British era when the region emerged as a key rail junction connecting western and northern India. However, implementation delays have persisted for decades.
Projects still awaiting completion or approval include the Belagavi–Kittur–Dharwad, Kudachi–Bagalkot, Belagavi–Kolhapur, Belagavi–Sawantwadi, Lokapur–Ramdurg–Savadatti–Dharwad, and Shedbal–Athani–Vijayapura railway lines.
The Shedbal–Vijayapura project, proposed in the 2010–11 Union Budget during the UPA government, remains unrealised even after more than a decade. The Belagavi–Dharwad line, approved in 2019 with an allocation of ₹823 crore, has reportedly been delayed due to land acquisition issues. Similarly, work on the Bagalkot–Kudachi route, approved in 2010 to improve connectivity between Goa and Mumbai, is still ongoing.
The Lokapur–Ramdurg–Savadatti–Dharwad line, seen as a boost for religious tourism—especially with a proposed rail link to the Renuka Yallamma temple—has also made little progress.
Qutbuddin Qazi, state president of the Railway Development Struggle Committee, said the Centre has not responded to demands for implementing the Lokapur–Dharwad railway line. He added that despite assurances of a re-survey, including statements by MP Jagadish Shettar, no concrete action has followed.
Residents and activists are now hoping the upcoming Union Budget will bring fresh allocations and renewed momentum to these stalled railway projects.
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