Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced that India will develop seven high-speed rail corridors connecting key cities across the country.
Presenting the Union Budget 2026–27 in Parliament, Sitharaman said these corridors will act as “growth connectors” and promote environmentally sustainable passenger transport systems.
In order to promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems
₹5,000 crore per CER over five years
7 high-speed rail corridors as growth collectors, including Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi &… pic.twitter.com/7K5zGuDbzC
— SansadTV (@sansad_tv) February 1, 2026
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Seven Proposed High-Speed Rail Corridors
According to the announcement, the new high-speed corridors will connect the following city pairs:
- Mumbai–Pune
- Hyderabad–Pune
- Hyderabad–Bengaluru
- Hyderabad–Chennai
- Chennai–Bengaluru
- Delhi–Varanasi
- Varanasi–Siliguri
The corridors are aimed at improving inter-city mobility while supporting long-term economic growth.
Existing Bullet Train Project
At present, work is underway on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, India’s only such project so far.
The 508-km corridor, designed for bullet trains operating at speeds of up to 320 kmph, will pass through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad is expected to be 2 hours and 17 minutes.
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During her Budget speech, Sitharaman also announced a dedicated east–west freight corridor connecting Dankuni in the east with Surat in the west.
In addition, she proposed the operationalisation of 22 new national waterways over the next five years to promote multimodal transport and reduce logistics costs.
“These initiatives will strengthen freight movement and support sustainable cargo transportation,” Sitharaman said.
Focus on Growing Cities and Capital Spending
The Finance Minister said the Narendra Modi-led government will continue prioritising infrastructure development in Tier II and Tier III cities with populations exceeding five lakh, which have emerged as key growth centres.
She also proposed public capital expenditure of ₹12.2 lakh crore for FY 2026–27.
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Sitharaman said the Union Budget was guided by three kartavyas, or responsibilities: accelerating and sustaining economic growth by enhancing competitiveness, fulfilling aspirations, and ensuring that every family, community and region has access to resources and opportunities.
“The ‘Reform Express’ is on its way,” she said.
