- India will develop seven new high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities, announced Nirmala Sitharaman
- They will connect Mumbai and Pune, Hyderabad and Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai
- They will also connect Chennai and Bengaluru, Delhi and Varanasi, and Varanasi and Siliguri
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced that India will develop seven high-speed rail corridors between key cities.
Presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament, Sitharaman said these corridors will serve as 'growth connectors' to promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems.
These high-speed corridors will connect Mumbai and Pune, Hyderabad and Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai, Chennai and Bengaluru, Delhi and Varanasi, and Varanasi and Siliguri, she said.
At present, work on one high-speed corridor between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is in progress. The 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad project, India's only high-speed rail project designed to operate bullet trains at a speed of 320 kmph, will pass through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. It will cover the entire distance in 2 hours and 17 minutes.
During her budget speech, Sitharaman also announced a new dedicated east-west freight corridor connecting Dankuni in the east with Surat in the west.
The senior BJP leader also 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.
She said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will continue to focus on developing infrastructure in cities with over five lakh population (Tier II and Tier III), which have expanded to become "growth centres".
She also proposed a public capital expenditure of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for Finance Year 2026-27.
Sitharaman said the Union Budget was inspired by three kartavyas, or responsibilities. These are to accelerate and sustain economic growth by enhancing competitiveness, fulfilling aspirations, and ensuring every family, community, and region has access to resources and opportunities.
"The 'Reform Express' is on its way," she said.
