Bullet Train to Connect Varanasi–Siliguri, Travel Time Cut to 3 Hours!

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Varanasi-Siliguri Bullet Train: New Delhi. On Sunday, February 1, 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the Union Budget. In her speech, she made a statement that could seriously affect the nation’s security. The Finance Minister revealed plans for a high-speed train corridor connecting Varanasi and Siliguri. What used to take around 15 hours will now be done in just three hours. India aims to operate these high-speed trains at speeds nearing 250 kilometers per hour.

This announcement carries significant implications. The Chicken Neck, located in Siliguri, is part of the Siliguri Corridor. Recently, Bangladesh has brought up the Chicken Neck multiple times. Some Bangladeshi officials have even suggested separating the Chicken Neck from India, which raises security issues for this 22-kilometer-wide corridor. Therefore, it’s crucial to include Siliguri in the bullet train network.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the third Union Budget during the central government’s third term, marking her ninth consecutive budget. In the 2026-27 Budget, the government focused heavily on bolstering infrastructure. Numerous significant and impactful announcements were made for the railway, aviation, and water transport sectors, all aimed at improving connectivity, lowering logistics costs, and boosting economic growth.

In a key railway initiative, the Union Budget 2026 revealed plans for seven high-speed rail corridors (bullet trains). These corridors will link the country’s main industrial and economic hubs with a swift and modern rail system. The proposed high-speed rail corridors include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri.

About the Author

Sweta Mitra

Working in the media for last 7 years. The journey started in the year 2018. For the past few years, my working experience has been in Bengali media. Currently working at Timesbull.com. Here I write like Business, National, and Utility News. My favorite hobbies are listening to music, traveling, food,...

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SwetaMitra@timesbull.com Author at TimesBull TimesBull
Working in the media for last 7 years. The journey started in the year 2018. For the past few years, my working experience has been in Bengali media. Currently working at Timesbull.com. Here I write like Business, National, and Utility News. My favorite hobbies are listening to music, traveling, food, and books. For feedback - timesbull@gmail.com
Sweta Mitra - Author at TimesBull
About the Author

Sweta Mitra

Sweta Mitra - Author at TimesBull

Working in the media for last 7 years. The journey started in the year 2018. For the past few years, my working experience has been in Bengali media. Currently working at Timesbull.com. Here I write like Business, National, and Utility News. My favorite hobbies are listening to music, traveling, food,...

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