SRINAGAR: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced plans to develop seven high-speed rail corridors linking major cities across the country.
Presenting the Union Budget 2026–27 in Parliament, Sitharaman said the proposed corridors would act as growth connectors and support environmentally sustainable passenger transport systems.
She said the high-speed rail links would connect Mumbai–Pune, Hyderabad–Pune, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi, and Varanasi–Siliguri.
At present, construction is underway on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor, the country’s first such project. The 508-km line, designed for bullet trains operating at speeds of up to 320 kmph, will pass through Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and is expected to reduce travel time to about two hours and 17 minutes.
During her Budget speech, the Finance Minister also announced a new east–west dedicated freight corridor connecting Dankuni in West Bengal with Surat in Gujarat.
She further said the government plans to operationalise 22 additional national waterways over the next five years to strengthen multimodal transport and lower logistics costs.
“These initiatives will improve freight movement and support sustainable cargo transportation,” Sitharaman said.
She added that the government would continue to prioritise infrastructure development in Tier II and Tier III cities with populations exceeding five lakh, which have emerged as growth centres.
The Finance Minister proposed a public capital expenditure of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for the financial year 2026–27.
Sitharaman said the Budget was guided by three kartavyas, or responsibilities: accelerating and sustaining economic growth through improved competitiveness, meeting aspirations, and ensuring equitable access to resources and opportunities across regions. “The Reform Express is on its way,” she said.
