Budget 2026 proposes 7 high-speed rail corridors across India | Full list here

Budget 2026: Seven high-speed rail corridors between cities, including Varanasi-Siliguri and Pune-Hyderabad, have been proposed by the Centre.

Updated on: Feb 1, 2026, 13:11:33 IST

By Aryan Mudgal

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Seven high-speed rail corridors between cities, including Varanasi-Siliguri and Pune-Hyderabad, have been proposed by the Centre to be developed as growth connectors, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her Union Budget 2026-27 on Sunday.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shows the digital tablet, enclosed in a traditional red 'bahi-khata' style pouch, at the Parliament premises. (PTI)

The finance minister presented her ninth straight budget in the Parliament, where she said that the Centre had focused on “reforms over rhetoric”.

Follow live updates related to the budget here.

Full list of corridors that would be developed

While presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament, Sitharaman said the corridors would act as “growth connectors” and help promote passenger systems that are environmentally sustainable.

Here is the list of all the corridors:

Mumbai to Pune
Pune to Hyderabad
Hyderabad-Bengaluru
Hyderabad to Chennai
Chennai to Bengaluru
Bengaluru to Varanasi
Varanasi to Siliguri

Presently, construction is underway on a single high-speed route between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Notably, the 50-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad project is India’s only high-speed rail line built to run bullet trains at speeds of up to 320 kmph.

Reacting to the announcement, Sujay Kalele, founder and CEO, TRU Realty, said that the Mumbai-Pune corridor “reinforces our long-term confidence in the two growth engine cities of Maharashtra”.

“Improved connectivity will make both cities high-performing residential and employment hubs, allowing professionals to access Mumbai’s opportunities without relocating, and supporting sustained, end-user driven real estate demand in the city. Furthermore, increase in infrastructure investment expands commercial real estate demand, particularly in logistics. This will positively affect the allied residential demand corridors, as the promise of economic growth will make these cities attractive places to settle in,” he told Hindustan Times.

Union Budget 2026-27

Sitharaman said the government will keep its focus on building infrastructure in cities that have populations of more than 5 lakh. These include Tier II and Tier III cities, which the government plans to develop as future growth hubs.

While presenting the Union Budget for 2026-27, she also said incentives will be offered for manufacturing seaplanes within the country as part of efforts to promote tourism.

She also announced that a high-level panel on ‘Banking for Viksit Bharat’ will be formed, taking forward a range of steps aimed at strengthening the economy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aryan Mudgal
Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.Read More

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