Boost to railways: 7 high-speed, one dedicated freight corridors proposed in Union Budget 2026-27
According to Sitharaman, the proposed high-speed corridors will link Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri.
PTC News Desk: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced plans to develop seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major cities, along with a new dedicated freight corridor between Dankuni in West Bengal and Surat in Gujarat, as part of the Union Budget 2026–27. Presenting the Budget, she said the initiative aims to strengthen environmentally sustainable passenger transport by positioning high-speed rail routes as key growth connectors.
According to Sitharaman, the proposed high-speed corridors will link Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri.
To encourage greener cargo movement, the Finance Minister also proposed the creation of a dedicated freight corridor running from Dankuni in the east to Surat in the west.
Currently, construction is underway on the Ahmedabad–Mumbai high-speed rail corridor. In addition, two dedicated freight corridors—the Eastern and Western corridors—are already operational, spanning multiple states and districts across the country.