A new proposal by the central government aims to introduce high-speed rail corridors linking Hyderabad with Bengaluru and Chennai, promising to drastically reduce travel times. Trains operating at speeds of up to 320 kilometres per hour are expected to cut the journey to Bengaluru to two hours and to Chennai to just over two hours. This would reduce travel time by nearly 10 hours compared to current train routes.
The proposed Hyderabad-Chennai route will span 705 kilometres, while the Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor will cover 626 kilometres. These new routes will exclusively serve high-speed trains, designed to operate on elevated corridors similar to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. A detailed survey and project report for these routes is being prepared by RITES Limited, which has allocated INR 33 crore for the assessment.
Although the project is in its early stages, it is anticipated to take up to 15 years to complete. This new rail corridor will offer an alternative to air travel, making the journey time comparable to flights but without the additional time spent getting to and from airports. The introduction of such high-speed rail would boost connectivity between key southern cities and stimulate economic activity in the region.
