Delhi-Varanasi Bullet Train: The proposed Delhi-Varanasi bullet train corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel times across Uttar Pradesh, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Saturday.
Speaking at an event in Jewar, Vaishnaw stated that the upcoming high-speed rail project is set to reduce the travel time between Jewar and Lucknow to approximately one hour and 40 minutes, while the journey between Delhi and Lucknow will take about two hours and 10 minutes once it becomes operational.
"Just as the Ganga flows, the bullet train will run in the same way," Hindustan Times quoted Vaishnaw as saying. He further stated that the proposed bullet train corridor will not only enhance connectivity but also drive industrial and economic development across Uttar Pradesh.
Meanwhile, work is already underway on India's first bullet train project connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
High-Speed Rail Link To Noida Airport
Earlier in April, MLA Dhirendra Singh met the Railway Minister and requested a high-speed rail link to the Noida International Airport in Jewar. The move comes as the newly constructed airport commenced its commercial flight operations on June 15.
Spanning 1,300 hectares in Jewar, the facility is expected to handle approximately 12 million passengers every year during its first phase, positioning itself as the second-largest airport in the National Capital Region (NCR) behind Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport. Once all phases are completed, the airport is expected to handle approximately 70 million passengers every year.
Delhi-Varanasi High-Speed Rail Corridor Among 7 New Bullet Train Projects
- The Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail corridor is one of the seven new bullet train projects announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Union Budget 2026-27.
- Apart from the Delhi-Varanasi route, the government proposed six other high-speed rail networks, including Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, and Varanasi-Siliguri.
- Officials stated that the Delhi-Varanasi high-speed rail corridor will play a key role in boosting connectivity between the national capital and one of India's most prominent religious destinations.
- According to the report, the proposed route will link Uttar Pradesh's key political, religious, and industrial centres, with expected stations including: Delhi, Noida, Jewar Airport, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kannauj, Raebareli, Prayagraj, New Bhadohi, Lucknow, and Varanasi.