New Delhi, October 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Northern Corridor of India’s bullet train network, which will connect Delhi with several major cities, including Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi and Patna, before eventually extending to Guwahati, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Saturday.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony of the new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Varanasi and New Delhi, Vaishnaw said the proposed high-speed rail corridor would significantly reduce travel time between key destinations.
According to the minister, the journey from Delhi to Agra would take 59 minutes, Delhi to Kanpur one hour and 45 minutes, Delhi to Lucknow two hours and 12 minutes, and Delhi to Varanasi three hours and 33 minutes. The Lucknow-Varanasi journey would take one hour and 21 minutes.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Northern Corridor of the bullet train network. This will begin in Delhi, connecting Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, and Ayodhya, and will extend further through Varanasi and Patna, reaching all the way to Guwahati,” Vaishnaw said.
Rejecting the perception that high-speed rail travel would be affordable only for wealthy passengers, the Railway Minister said ticket prices would be economical and considerably lower than airfares.
“Many people, especially those in the opposition, will repeatedly spread the misconception that this bullet train is only for the rich. The fare will be very economical and much less than flight tickets,” he said.
Vaishnaw also emphasised that the project would be developed under the Make in India initiative, with construction work and technology involving Indian capabilities and workers.
“The concept of the construction work for the bullet train, from pillar to girder, will be made in India. The construction is progressing rapidly. It will be fully Make in India, built by the youth and welders of India,” he said.
He added that the corridor would benefit young people, middle-income groups and artisans associated with small-scale industries, describing it as a major initiative whose impact would be remembered for generations.
Meanwhile, work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project is progressing, with the first Traction Substation (TSS) nearing completion at Bilimora in Gujarat’s Navsari district.
A total of 14 substations are planned to supply power along the 508-km high-speed rail corridor.
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