- Hyderabad may become a major hub in India's future bullet train network
- Hyderabad-Chennai travel time could reduce to 2 hours 55 minutes by bullet train
- Hyderabad-Bengaluru journey may be cut to 2 hours 8 minutes from over 8 hours
Imagine leaving Hyderabad after breakfast and reaching Chennai before lunch. Even if you live right by the airport, that sounds unrealistic. Well, it could soon become a reality. India's high-speed rail plans are getting bigger, and Hyderabad may turn into a major hub in the country's future bullet train network. According to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the proposed high-speed rail corridors could notably reduce travel time between Hyderabad and key metro cities, including Chennai, Bengaluru, and Pune.
Bullet Train Corridors From Hyderabad Could Significantly Slash Travel Times
For travellers, this bullet train could completely change how people move between South India's biggest cities. The biggest update is the proposed Hyderabad-Chennai bullet train corridor. If approved and completed as planned, the journey could take just 2 hours and 55 minutes, Telangana Today reported. That is a massive jump from today's rail travel time, which takes over 12 hours.
Aboard the bullet train, a 3-hour ride would make Chennai feel much closer to Hyderabad. For business travellers, tourists, and even students commuting between the two cities, this could be a game-changer.
The proposed high-speed corridor between Hyderabad and Bengaluru could also slash travel time to 2 hours and 8 minutes. Currently, the train journey takes over 8 hours, and bus travel is usually an overnight trip. But with a bullet train, a same-day return trip with no flights could become a reality.
Another major corridor in the discussion is the Hyderabad-Pune route. According to the reports, the proposed travel time is just 1 hour and 55 minutes. Right now, train journeys on this route usually take around 8 hours and 30 minutes. Cutting that down to under 2 hours would completely transform travel patterns for everyone.
These Routes Could Replace Short-Haul Flights
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Once up and running, these routes could shift a large number of passengers away from short-haul flights. When airport transfers, security checks, baggage wait times, and boarding formalities are considered, flying often takes much longer than the actual airtime. A bullet train, on the other hand, offers city-to-city connectivity, minus the boarding formalities.
The centre is also planning to invest nearly Rs 16 lakh crore into expanding bullet train infrastructure across India, Telangana Today reported. That is one of the largest transport infrastructure pushes the country has ever seen.
According to railway authorities, land acquisition for upcoming corridors is expected to begin soon, while large-scale execution will roll out in phases over the coming years. However, these projects are still in the planning stage.
Still, if all goes as planned, Hyderabad could soon become one of India's biggest high-speed rail gateways.
