Union Budget 2026 announces seven high-speed rail corridors

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced seven high-speed rail corridors in India in her Budget speech.

Terming these as growth connectors, Ms. Sitharaman said high-speed rail corridors will connect Mumbai to Pune, Pune to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Chennai, Hyderabad to Bengaluru, Chennai to Bengaluru, Delhi to Varanasi and Varanasi to Siliguri.

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Ms. Sitharaman was presenting her ninth Budget in Parliament on Sunday, February 1, 2026. This marks the first time in India’s history that the Union Budget will be presented on Sunday.

The Finance Minister said this was done to develop an environmentally sustainable passenger system.

It is interesting that no high-speed rail corridor has been announced for Kerala even though it was mentioned in the state budget on Thursday, January 29, 2026. There was an expectation that the Union Budget would provide clarity on the future of the proposed semi-high-speed rail project connecting Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur. The proposed semi-high-speed rail project remains the state’s most anticipated announcement.