High-speed rail corridor to connect south Indian cities, cut travel time drastically

Visakhapatnam, : The Union government is gearing up to roll out an ambitious high-speed rail corridor project aimed at transforming transportation across South India. The proposed network is expected to significantly reduce travel time between major cities while boosting economic connectivity and regional development.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the high-speed rail network will connect key urban centres including Amaravati, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai. The project aims to introduce next-generation rail systems capable of operating at speeds between 250 kmph and 320 kmph.

Massive time savings
Once operational, the corridor will drastically cut travel durations. The journey from Amaravati to Hyderabad is expected to take just 70 minutes, compared to the current 5–6 hours by conventional trains. Similarly, travel from Amaravati to Chennai will take around 112 minutes.

Hyderabad to Pune travel time is projected to drop to approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes, while the Pune–Mumbai route could be completed in just 48 minutes, offering a major upgrade in intercity mobility.

Big boost for Bengaluru connectivity
The project is set to greatly benefit Bengaluru. At present, the journey between Chennai and Bengaluru takes about 4 hours on the Vande Bharat Express. With the high-speed corridor, this travel time will reduce to just 73 minutes.

Similarly, travel from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, which currently takes around 8 hours, will be shortened to nearly 2 hours and 8 minutes.

Implementation timeline and scope
The central government has set a target of completing the project within 7 to 8 years. The initiative is expected to strengthen logistics, improve business travel efficiency, and create new economic corridors across southern India.

Karnataka cabinet approval
The Karnataka government, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has already approved administrative support for the Hyderabad–Bengaluru high-speed rail corridor. The proposed stretch spans approximately 607 km and will pass through districts such as Tumakuru, Chikkaballapur, and Bengaluru Rural, while also connecting to Kempegowda International Airport.

Officials said around 15 stations are planned within Karnataka, making it a key component of the state’s future transport infrastructure.