Union Budget 2026: Nirmala Sitharaman Unveils Seven High-Speed Rail Corridors and More
Laying out an ambitious infrastructure and mobility roadmap in the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced plans to develop seven high-speed rail corridors, create new dedicated freight links, and operationalise 20 national waterways over the next five years. These initiatives are driven by 'Yuvashakti' and are anchored in the government’s 'three kartavyas', aimed at accelerating growth while maintaining reform momentum.
Presenting the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament, Sitharaman said the proposals are driven by 'Yuvashakti' and are anchored in what she described as the government’s 'three kartavyas', aimed at accelerating growth while maintaining reform momentum. She underlined that transport and logistics reforms would play a central role in supporting long-term economic expansion.
As part of efforts to promote environmentally sustainable passenger transport, the Union Budget 2026 proposes the development of seven high-speed rail corridors connecting major urban, industrial, and economic hubs. These corridors are expected to significantly reduce travel time, lower carbon emissions, and act as growth enablers for regions they pass through. The proposed high-speed rail routes include Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi, and Varanasi–Siliguri. Together, these links will connect financial centres, technology hubs, manufacturing clusters, and emerging cities through faster and cleaner mobility networks.
In addition to passenger transport, the Budget outlined a major push for freight movement. Sitharaman announced plans to establish new dedicated freight corridors, including a key east–west link connecting Dangkuni in West Bengal with Surat in Gujarat. The move is aimed at improving logistics efficiency, cutting costs, and boosting industrial competitiveness, particularly for export-oriented sectors.
The Finance Minister also said the government will operationalise 20 new national waterways over the next five years to promote environmentally sustainable cargo transport. Shifting freight to inland waterways, she noted, would help reduce dependence on road and rail while offering a more energy-efficient and cost-effective logistics alternative.
The Budget further highlighted eco-tourism and nature-based travel as emerging growth areas. Sitharaman said India has the potential to offer world-class trekking and hiking experiences, with plans to develop sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats. Special wildlife trails, including turtle nesting trails in Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala, and bird-watching trails around Pulicat Lake, were also announced.
While outlining the broader economic strategy, Sitharaman said the government has identified six key areas for targeted intervention to accelerate and sustain growth. These include scaling up manufacturing in seven strategic and frontier sectors, rejuvenating legacy industries, creating globally competitive MSMEs, delivering a strong infrastructure push, ensuring long-term economic stability, and developing city economic regions. 'The reform express is running on its way and will maintain its momentum to help us fulfil our Kartavya,' the Finance Minister said, adding that the combined measures reflect the government’s commitment to sustained reforms and inclusive development.
