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KOLKATA: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced a new high-speed rail corridor that will connect New Delhi to Siliguri in West Bengal. The ambitious bullet train project is set to drastically reduce the travel time between the national capital and the strategic Northeast gateway to just six hours, routing through multiple major urban centers across northern and eastern India.
Speaking at a gathering at the West Bengal state Secretariat, Nabanna, in Kolkata on Saturday, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw outlined the proposed route, which will run across several state capitals and key historical cities.
According to Vaishnaw, the proposed corridor will run via Lucknow, Varanasi, and Patna. Once operational, passengers will be able to cover the distance between the national capital and Siliguri in just six hours.
“A bullet train project will come to West Bengal. It will connect Delhi and Siliguri via Lucknow, Varanasi and Patna. The journey will take only six hours by bullet train,” Vaishnaw said.
Infrastructure Budget Boost for West Bengal
During his address, the Railway Minister highlighted a substantial increase in fiscal allocations for West Bengal’s railway network. Vaishnaw contrasted the current government’s financial commitments with previous administrations, noting that under the United Prime Minister-led UPA government, when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee held the railway portfolio, the state was allocated approximately ₹4,000 crore for railway development.
In comparison, Vaishnaw stated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s current leadership, West Bengal has been allocated ₹14,205 crore for the 2026-27 financial year. He expressed optimism that the state’s ongoing and upcoming railway operations would gain significant momentum moving forward under a aligned governance model.
Metro Expansion and Next-Generation Fleet Modernization
Beyond the high-speed regional rail announcements, the Union Minister shared specific modernization plans for local urban transit within West Bengal. Over the course of the next five years, the Ministry of Railways intends to roll out 60 next-generation trains dedicated entirely to the Kolkata Metro network.
Vaishnaw noted that West Bengal has consistently been prioritized for premium rolling stock, pointing out that the state received both the Vande Bharat Sleeper and the Amrit Bharat trains ahead of many other regions in the country.
He also stated that 45 kilometers of metro lines have been successfully operationalized in Kolkata under the current government, hinting that additional transit infrastructure projects are slated for future announcement.
The minister mentioned that MLAs from the state have been consulted for inputs on local development needs, signaling a collaborative approach to future projects. He attributed some past delays to administrative hurdles under the previous state government.
Contextual Progress on India’s High-Speed Rail Network
The newly proposed Delhi-Siliguri corridor adds to the growing portfolio of high-speed rail projects managed by the Ministry of Railways. Currently, India’s primary focus remains on the construction of its first 508-kilometer high-speed rail corridor connecting Sabarmati (Ahmedabad) in Gujarat to Mumbai in Maharashtra. Designed to operate at speeds of 320 km/h, the network aims to link the two financial hubs in 2 hours and 17 minutes if stopping at all 12 planned stations, and 1 hour and 58 minutes when running an express service with only four stops.
While the foundation stone for the Western corridor was laid in 2017 with an initial completion target of December 2023, land acquisition hurdles and technical delays pushed back the timeline.
Providing an update on the project’s progress, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw previously clarified at the Rail Bhawan that the project’s initial phase will cover a 100-kilometer stretch between Surat and Vapi in Gujarat, with its official inaugural run scheduled for August 2027.
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