High-speed trains: Bengaluru to Chennai in 73 minutes, Hyderabad in 120 mins
The Karnataka Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, granted administrative approval for this ambitious project in its meeting held on April 30, accelerating its progress
Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai — these three cities form the backbone of South India’s economy. They command a lion’s share in IT, pharma, startups, and manufacturing. Every day, lakhs of people travel between these cities for business and employment. However, with the current transport systems, a significant amount of their valuable time is lost in transit.
To provide a long-term solution and revolutionise the transportation network, the Central government has announced a massive High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridor project for south India.
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In the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced seven new high-speed rail corridors across the country. Among these, two key corridors connect South India, particularly Bengaluru.
The Karnataka Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, granted administrative approval for this ambitious project in its meeting held on April 30, accelerating its progress.
What is high-speed rail project?
The corridors are being developed jointly by Indian Railways and the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL). Unlike conventional trains that run on ground-level tracks, these will operate on dedicated elevated (viaduct) structures and, in some stretches, underground tunnels using Japanese technology.
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These trains are designed to run at speeds of up to 350 kmph. The proposed high-speed rail network is expected to bring a significant transformation to India’s transport infrastructure.
Project on two major routes
1. Bengaluru-Hyderabad corridor: 607 km route
Bengaluru and Hyderabad are two of India’s largest IT hubs. Currently, travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru takes at least 8.5 to 12 hours by train and around 9-10 hours by bus. With the new high-speed rail, this travel time will be reduced to just two hours.
Which route will it take? Where are the stops?
The Bengaluru-Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor will span approximately 607 km and include around 13-15 stations. The train will pass through Telangana and Andhra Pradesh before entering Karnataka. Within Karnataka, the route will cover about 100 km and include three key stations:
Alipur (Gauribidanur taluk, Chikkaballapur district): This will be the first stop after the train enters Karnataka from the Andhra Pradesh border.
Devanahalli (Bengaluru Rural): This station will be crucial for connectivity to Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) and for residents of North Bengaluru.
Kodihalli (Bengaluru Rural): This is set to become a major future junction. Since the proposed Bengaluru-Chennai high-speed rail corridor will also pass through Kodihalli, it will offer significant convenience to IT professionals in Electronic City and Whitefield.
2. Bengaluru-Chennai corridor: 306 km route, 73-minute journey
This 306 km-long project connects Bengaluru with Chennai, another major manufacturing and IT hub in the South. Passing through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, the corridor will cut travel time between Chennai and Bengaluru to just 1 hour and 13 minutes (73 minutes).
12 km underground tunnel in Bengaluru
Most of this corridor will run on elevated tracks. However, as the train enters Bengaluru city, it will shift to an underground tunnel. The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited has planned a 12 km underground stretch from Whitefield to Baiyyappanahalli. There is also a possibility of two underground stations at Baiyyappanahalli and Whitefield. Within Karnataka, the route will pass through Kolar district. This high-speed rail network between major South Indian cities is part of the ‘Diamond Quadrilateral’ project.
What is the current status of the project?
The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited has already initiated preliminary work for both corridors. Detailed Project Reports (DPR), land surveys, route alignment, design, and engineering documentation for the Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Hyderabad-Chennai routes are currently in progress. The Ministry of Railways has set a target to complete the DPR by March 2027.
Additionally, a team of central railway officials recently visited Karnataka to discuss the acquisition of around 176 hectares of land required for the project. They also held preliminary meetings with officials from the state’s Infrastructure Development Department.
What are the benefits of this project for Karnataka?
A major ‘economic corridor’ will emerge between Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai — three of South India’s biggest IT and commercial hubs. Investments in industry, pharma, startups, and IT are expected to grow rapidly.
Regions such as Devanahalli, Doddaballapur, Gauribidanur, Yelahanka, and Kolar are likely to see rapid growth in real estate, logistics, industry, and hospitality sectors.
Dependence on cars and cabs to reach the airport will reduce significantly, increasing the use of high-speed trains. This will help ease traffic congestion in North Bengaluru and reduce carbon emissions, supporting environmental conservation.
The construction phase and future commercial activities around stations will generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
Travellers will be able to reach Hyderabad or Chennai in the same or even less time than it currently takes to go to the airport, complete check-in and security, and board a flight — all by boarding a high-speed train from within the city itself.
(This article was originally published in The Federal Karnataka)