New Delhi: In a bid to boost connectivity and promote sustainable travel in India, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a plan to develop seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities across the country, as part of the Union Budget 2026-27 presented in Parliament on Sunday (Feb 1). “The government proposes to develop environmentally sustainable passenger transport systems through seven high-speed rail corridors,” she said.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening inter-city connectivity, reducing travel times, and acting as “growth connectors” to support economic activity, infrastructure development and regional integration.
Seven Proposed High-Speed Rail Routes
According to budget announcements, the seven high-speed rail corridors that will be developed include:
Mumbai–Pune
Hyderabad–Bengaluru
Delhi–Varanasi
Varanasi–Siliguri
Pune–Hyderabad
Hyderabad–Chennai
Chennai–Bengaluru
The routes are expected to link major metropolitan cities with fast-growing urban and industrial hubs.
The high-speed rail announcement came as Sitharaman proposed a public capital expenditure of 12.2 lakh crore for FY27, up from 11.2 lakh crore in the Budget Estimates for FY26. The minister stated that the public capital spending had risen sharply from 2 lakh crore in 2014–15, reflecting the government’s focus on infrastructure-led economic growth.
“To sustain infrastructure momentum, public capital expenditure of 12.2 lakh crore is proposed for FY27,” she said.
She also emphasised that the high-speed rail links will serve as development linkages between cities, promoting faster mobility of goods and people while curbing carbon emissions by offering environmentally sustainable transport alternatives. The corridors are expected to significantly cut travel times compared to conventional rail or road travel and boost trade, tourism and employment opportunities in the regions they serve.
