Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced plans to build seven new high-speed rail corridors while presenting the Union Budget 2026 on February 1. The move aims to modernise India’s rail network and improve fast and eco-friendly travel between major cities.
She said the new corridors would help cut travel time, improve connectivity, and reduce carbon emissions. “The government proposes to develop environmentally sustainable passenger transport systems through seven high-speed rail corridors,” she said in her Budget speech.
The proposed routes are:
- Mumbai-Pune
- Hyderabad-Bengaluru
- Delhi-Varanasi
- Varanasi-Siliguri
- Pune-Hyderabad
- Hyderabad-Chennai
- Chennai-Bengaluru
These routes will connect major cities with fast-growing business and industrial hubs, easing pressure on roads and existing rail services.
Officials said the project will be developed in phases, with feasibility studies and land acquisition to begin in the coming months.
