India's new high-speed bullet train corridors: Know the reduction in travel time

India's first bullet train project is currently under construction between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. While it's expected to start operations partially by 2027 and fully by 2029, the Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced seven more high-speed train corridors across the country. The budget also proposed a dedicated freight corridor between Dankuni in West Bengal and Surat in Gujarat. Kerala doesn't figure in the plan.

The seven proposed routes are: 
Mumbai to Pune
Pune to Hyderabad
Hyderabad to Bengaluru
Hyderabad to Chennai
Chennai to Bengaluru
Delhi to Varanasi
Varanasi to Siliguri

Reduction in travel time
According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Chennai-Bengaluru-Hyderabad corridors will form a southern high-speed triangle, benefiting five states - Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana - as well as the Union Territory of Puducherry. The minister quoted the following as the reduction of travel time once the routes are operational:

Chennai to Bengaluru: 1 hour and 13 minutes (Now it's 4.5-7 hours)
Bengaluru to Hyderabad: 2 hours (8-12 hours)
Chennai to Hyderabad: 2 hours 55 minutes (12-14 hours)
Mumbai to Pune: 48 minutes (2.5-4 hours)
Pune to Hyderabad: 1 hour 55 minutes (8-10.5 hours)
Delhi to Varanasi: 3 hours 50 minutes(8-12 hours)
Varanasi to Siliguri: 2 hours 55 minutes (12-14 hours)

Vishnaw said that a new economic corridor would emerge across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, delivering significant benefits. All seven corridors will cover about 4,000 km and are expected to attract investments worth ₹16,000 crore.

As for the freight corridor between West Bengal and Gujarat, the minister said the East-West Freight Corridor would be 2,052 km long and would connect with the existing Western Dedicated Freight Corridor in Gujarat.
(With inputs from PTI)