Prime Minister Modi Approves New Delhi-Varanasi Bullet Train Corridor
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the North Corridor bullet train project, promising drastically reduced travel times across northern India.
At a glance
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the North Corridor bullet train project connecting Delhi, Varanasi, and other major cities.
- Travel time between Delhi and Varanasi is expected to be reduced to three hours and 35 minutes.
- Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the project will be built entirely under the Make in India initiative.
Travelers across northern India will soon be able to reach Varanasi from New Delhi in just three hours and 35 minutes following the approval of a new high-speed rail corridor.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the clearance of the North Corridor project on Saturday while launching new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express services.
Project route and travel times
Stops on the cleared high-speed rail line link Siliguri, Patna, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, and Delhi, alongside an extension continuing to Guwahati.
Officials project transit durations such as 59 minutes from Delhi to Agra, one hour and 45 minutes to reach Kanpur, and two hours and 12 minutes for Lucknow. The journey between Lucknow and Varanasi is slated to take one hour and 21 minutes.
Local leadership and funding response
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath stated that an action plan had already been prepared to operate the high-speed service between Delhi and Varanasi.
Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that Uttar Pradesh's railway budget allocation rose twentyfold, jumping from 1,100 crore rupees under previous administrations to 20,000 crore rupees.
What the project means for domestic infrastructure
The approval of the North Corridor marks a major push in India's high-speed rail development, aiming to reshape regional connectivity and commerce across multiple states. By promising rapid transit times between major economic and religious hubs, the government is leaning heavily on large-scale infrastructure as a cornerstone of its development agenda. Vaishnaw emphasized that construction will rely on domestic manufacturing under the Make in India initiative, tying the transport upgrade directly to domestic industrial policy and job creation.
What to watch: Watch for the release of detailed project timelines and construction commencement dates.
Reporting from: Hindustan Times. Spotted an error? Tell us.
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