Union Budget 2026: FM Announces 7 New High-Speed Rail Routes, Freight Corridor

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced seven new high-speed rail corridors in Union Budget 2026 to enhance inter-city connectivity.
• Proposed routes include Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi, and Varanasi–Siliguri.
• A new dedicated freight corridor connecting Dankuni (east) to Surat (west) was also proposed for environmentally sustainable cargo movement.
• Experts believe these projects will boost rail infrastructure, accelerate project execution, and benefit railway infrastructure companies like Rail Vikas Nigam and IRCON International.
• The initiatives aim to improve system-wide efficiency by segregating freight and passenger rail networks, aligning with global practices.

Why It Matters: Union Budget 2026 introduces 7 new high-speed rail routes and a dedicated freight corridor to boost India's rail infrastructure.