India Unveils 7 High-Speed Rail Corridors: Rs 16 Lakh Crore Boost for Connectivity

• Union Budget 2026–27 announces seven new high-speed rail corridors spanning nearly 4,000 km at an estimated cost of Rs 16 lakh crore.
• Corridors include Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi, and Varanasi–Siliguri.
• These routes aim to drastically cut inter-city travel times, ease pressure on other transport networks, and boost regional economic growth.
• Record capital expenditure of Rs 2,93,030 crore for Indian Railways, with Rs 1.20 lakh crore specifically for safety initiatives.
• A new 2,052-km East–West Dedicated Freight Corridor from Dankuni to Surat is proposed to decongest routes and strengthen goods movement.

Why It Matters: India is set for a major rail transformation with 7 new high-speed corridors and record investment in infrastructure and safety.