New Delhi: In the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid out a strong push towards environmentally sustainable passenger transport by proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors linking major urban and economic hubs. The routes are: Mumbai to Pune, Pune to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Chennai, Delhi to Varanasi and Varanasi to Siliguri.
“In order to promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems, we will develop seven high-speed rail corridors between cities as growth connectors, namely Mumbai to Pune, Pune to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Bengaluru, Hyderabad to Chennai, Chennai to Bengaluru. Delhi to Varanasi, Varanasi to Siliguri,” the FM said.
Collectively, the corridors will connect India’s financial centres, technology hubs, manufacturing zones and emerging cities, enabling quicker and more sustainable mobility. These routes are intended to serve as growth drivers by shortening travel time, lowering emissions and promoting balanced regional development.
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