Govt puts 4 more bullet train projects on track, including Delhi-Siliguri, the longest
Of the 7 high-speed rail corridors announced in Budget, Mumbai-Ahmedabad route is under construction, with the first phase expected to begin operating in 2027
With the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project underway, the Centre is reportedly drawing plans for four more bullet train corridors from Delhi, with the proposed Delhi-Siliguri corridor being the longest.
The Centre announced a total of seven high-speed rail corridors in the Budget, with an investment of nearly Rs 2 lakh crore. The first phase of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route, from Surat to Bilimora, is expected to begin operations in 2027.
Also read: How Bengaluru to Hyderabad, Chennai bullet trains will help Karnataka
Here are proposed projects originating from Delhi:
Delhi-Lucknow-Varanasi corridor
Length: 813-865 km
Number of stations: 13 to 15
Proposed route: Noida, Jewar International Airport, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kannauj, Lucknow, Rae Bareli, Prayagraj, New Bhadohi and Varanasi. Another 124-135 km high-speed link may connect Lucknow with Ayodhya.
Speed: Up to 320 kmph
Time: Delhi to Lucknow in 2 hours 10 minutes; Delhi to Varanasi in 3 hours 50 minutes.
Status: The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has reportedly floated tenders for structural design work.
AI-generated map.
Delhi-Varanasi-Siliguri corridor
Length: 1,705 km, India’s longest high-speed rail corridor.
Number of stations: Around 12
Proposed route: Delhi, Noida, Mathura, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Buxar, Patna, Begusarai, Khagaria, Katihar and New Jalpaiguri (Siliguri). The line may be further extended to Guwahati in Assam.
Time: 6 hours (saving 14 hours of current train travel time).
Status: Surveys and feasibility studies being done by the railways.
Also read: Delhi–Siliguri bullet train announced, to cut travel time from 20 hours to 6
Delhi-Jaipur-Ahmedabad corridor
Length: 886 km
Number of stations: 14 to 15
Proposed stations: Dwarka, Bijwasan, Gurugram, Manesar, Rewari, Behror (Neemrana), Shahpura, Jaipur, Kishangarh (Ajmer), Bijaynagar, Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Himmatnagar and Sabarmati (Ahmedabad). The aim is to integrate this line with the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, facilitating high-speed travel from Delhi to Mumbai.
Status: Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared; financial approvals awaited.
Also read: Bengaluru-Mysuru bullet train to cut travel time to 30 minutes
Delhi-Amritsar-Jammu corridor
Length: 450-500 km
Number of stations: 10 to 12
Proposed route: Delhi, Rohtak, Jind, Kaithal, Chandigarh, Mohali, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar. May be extended to Jammu and Katra, via Pathankot.
Time: 2 hours.
Status: Preliminary survey and route alignment being done.