Bullet Train: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently announced that the first operational section of the bullet train project would be ready by 2027. The Railway Minister stated that 80% of the construction work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed ​​Rail Corridor is complete. Expectations are now high that the country will soon receive the gift of its first bullet train. Work on bullet train projects is now gaining momentum in the Delhi-NCR region.

Plans are underway to establish Delhi as a bullet train hub, with proposals to construct four high-speed rail corridors originating from the city. Among these, the Delhi-Varanasi-Siliguri bullet train is considered the most significant. The Delhi-Siliguri route is one of the seven corridors announced by the Central Government during the Union Budget presentation.

Delhi-Lucknow-Varanasi Rail Corridor

The Delhi-Lucknow-Varanasi rail corridor is considered crucial for Uttar Pradesh. Cities such as Noida, Agra, Mathura, Etawah, and Varanasi will be connected via this bullet train route. There will also be a link route connecting Lucknow to Ayodhya. This project will connect major religious, political, and industrial cities across UP. The bullet train could reach speeds of up to 320 km/h on this route.

Bullet train route length: 813 to 865 kilometres

13 to 15 stations are proposed along this route

Delhi to Lucknow: Just 2 hours 10 minutes

Delhi to Varanasi: Only 3 hours 50 minutes

Route of the Delhi-Varanasi Bullet Train

Proposed stations include Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi), Noida, Jewar International Airport, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kannauj, Lucknow, Raebareli, Prayagraj, New Bhadohi, and Varanasi. A separate link route, spanning 124 to 135 kilometres, will also be constructed to connect Lucknow with Ayodhya.

Delhi-Varanasi-Siliguri Corridor

The Delhi-Varanasi-Siliguri bullet train line will be the longest. According to media reports, the Delhi-Varanasi bullet train line will be extended to Siliguri. This will directly connect North Indian cities—such as Delhi, Noida, and Lucknow—with the Northeast. A proposal has also been made to extend the line further from Siliguri to Guwahati in Assam. Starting from Delhi, the route is expected to pass through Noida, Mathura, Agra, Lucknow, and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and then through stations such as Buxar, Patna, Begusarai, Khagaria, and Katihar in Bihar.

Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that the first section of the bullet train, running from Surat to Bilimora, will be launched in 2027. Subsequently, the Vapi-Surat section, followed by the Vapi-Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad-Thane, and finally the Ahmedabad-Mumbai sections, will be completed in phases.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train Project

India’s first dedicated bullet train corridor will be the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed ​​Rail Corridor. It will be constructed using Japanese Shinkansen technology and operational methods. Spanning approximately 508 kilometres and featuring 12 stations, the corridor is designed to reduce the travel time between the two cities to just 1 hour and 58 minutes. The trains will be equipped to operate at 320 km/h, with a design speed of 350 km/h.