The journey from Delhi to Banaras which currently takes 8 to 12 hours, will soon be completed in just 4 hours. The Railway Board has given green signal to the construction of Delhi-Banaras high-speed rail corridor. If everything goes as per plan, then there is every possibility that the ground work on this bullet train route will start in the next two to three months.
Blueprint of seven new bullet train corridors ready
To boost the country’s economy, the government has decided to build seven high-speed rail corridors. In the recent budget, the Finance Minister had estimated a huge investment of Rs 16 lakh crore for these projects. Trains will run at a speed of 250 to 350 kilometers per hour on these state-of-the-art railway tracks, due to which the distance to the metros will be significantly reduced.
Why is the government’s special focus on the Delhi-Banaras route?
Preparations are on to start the work on Delhi-Banaras corridor first. National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has expedited the process of setting up regional offices for this. Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections of 2027 are also considered to be a major reason behind this. Banaras is the parliamentary constituency of the Prime Minister, hence this project which provides relief to the general public is being given priority.
Through which cities will this high-speed train pass?
The detailed project report (DPR) of this more than 840 kilometer long route has been submitted to the Railway Board. This bullet train will run from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi and reach Varanasi via Noida, Jewar Airport, Mathura, Agra, Lucknow and Prayagraj. A total of 13 to 14 stations will be built on this route. To determine the exact construction cost, survey is currently being done using laser technology (LiDAR).
Strict instructions from Railway Board
Railway Board has issued clear instructions to accelerate the work of all seven corridors. Pre-construction activities like land acquisition, design and tender have been asked to be completed soon. Reports of six out of seven projects are ready, while work on the survey of Varanasi-Siliguri corridor is going on at a fast pace. Along with this, now the progress report of the project will have to be submitted to the board every week.
Technical standards will be kept the same for all these high-speed rail projects. For this, technically trained staff including railway employees are being assessed. The Railway Board is yet to take a final decision on whether Germany, France or Russia’s technology will be used in this important project.