Indian Railways Plans Record Investment in High-Speed Rail

Indian Railways will receive a record capital expenditure of 2,93,030 crore INR (35.3 billion USD) in the Union Budget 2026–27, focusing on high-speed rail, freight efficiency, and passenger safety.

This investment will establish seven new high-speed rail corridors spanning nearly 4,000 kilometres and connecting major cities including Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Varanasi, and Siliguri. The corridors, expected to attract around 16 lakh crore INR in investment (192.8 billion USD), aim to reduce inter-city travel times and support regional economic growth.

In southern India, the proposed South High-Speed Diamond network linking Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and other hubs is expected to significantly cut travel times. For example, it would connect Chennai–Bengaluru in 1 hour 13 minutes and Bengaluru–Hyderabad in 2 hours.

Northern and eastern corridors, such as Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri, will also shorten travel times, creating a new economic corridor across multiple states.

Meanwhile, a new 2,052-kilometre Dedicated Freight Corridor between Dankuni (West Bengal) and Surat (Gujarat) will strengthen east–west trade and connect with existing freight networks. The corridor aims to reduce congestion on current routes, which handle around 400 freight trains daily.

Safety remains a top priority, with nearly 1.20 lakh crore INR (14.46 billion USD) earmarked for track, rolling stock, and station upgrades, as well as deployment of the Kavach automatic train protection system and CCTV monitoring.

The record allocation positions Indian Railways as a central element of national development, with initiatives designed to deliver faster connectivity, more efficient logistics, and resilient infrastructure across India.