Bullet Train to Connect Hyderabad with Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai
The long-awaited bullet train service for Hyderabad is taking a crucial step forward. Indian Railways has decided to construct a 709-kilometer high-speed rail corridor between Hyderabad and Mumbai, as part of a larger initiative to connect major cities across the country through bullet train networks.
Additionally, authorities are considering extending this corridor to Bengaluru. Plans are also in discussion to extend the proposed Mysuru-Chennai high-speed rail corridor up to Hyderabad, which would significantly reduce travel time between Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
Currently, India’s first high-speed rail corridor is being built between Mumbai and Ahmedabad with Japanese technology and financial assistance. The next phase of the country’s bullet train expansion includes new corridors, among which the Hyderabad-Mumbai, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, and Hyderabad-Chennai routes are significant.
Some of these corridors, specifically the Hyderabad-Chennai and Hyderabad-Bengaluru routes, are planned to be constructed using a mix of elevated and underground tracks. The Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor spans 618 kilometers. At present, a journey between the two cities takes approximately 11 hours by regular superfast express trains and 8.5 hours by the Vande Bharat Express.
With the introduction of the bullet train, this travel time is expected to be reduced to just 2 hours. Similarly, the Hyderabad-Chennai route covers 757 kilometers, and while conventional express trains take 15 hours, a bullet train would cut this time down to just 2.5 hours. However, railway officials estimate that the completion of these bullet train projects may take 10 to 13 years.