If you often travel between Mumbai and Pune or from Hyderabad to Bengaluru and worry about expensive flight tickets, long airport queues, and tiring journeys, then relief may soon be on the way. Indian Railways is planning a massive expansion of high-speed rail corridors that could dramatically cut travel time between some of the country’s busiest cities.
Imagine reaching Pune from Mumbai in just 28 minutes or travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru in nearly 2 hours. What currently takes half a day by road or several stressful hours through airports may soon become a smooth and affordable train ride.
Speaking at the CII Business Summit, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed this development and said that high-speed trains are likely to dominate air travel on these routes once the new corridors become operational. As per PTI reports, he added that high-speed rail would become so efficient and popular that “Nobody will fly” on these routes, as most passengers would prefer trains over flights.
Railway over airlines— Ashwini Vaishnaw warns airline investors
As reported by PTI, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that these high-speed rail corridors are likely to see very limited airline presence, with railways expected to account for nearly 99 percent of passenger traffic. He also warned potential aviation investors, saying that on these routes most passengers would choose trains instead of flights.
Other High-Speed Rail Corridors set to reduce travel time
Apart from the Mumbai–Pune and Hyderabad–Bengaluru routes, Indian Railways approved 5 more high-speed rail corridors in the Budget 2026–27, including Delhi–Varanasi, Delhi–Lucknow, Chennai–Bengaluru, Bengaluru–Hyderabad, Chennai–Hyderabad, and Pune–Hyderabad.
According to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, these projects will drastically cut travel time, with Pune–Hyderabad taking about 1 hour 55 minutes, Bengaluru–Chennai reduced to just 78 minutes, Delhi–Varanasi to around 3 hours 50 minutes, and Delhi–Lucknow to nearly 2 hours, significantly improving intercity connectivity.
Who will these high-speed rail corridors benefit the most?
These high-speed rail corridors will mainly benefit daily commuters, business travellers, students, and tourists. People will be able to travel between major cities faster, cheaper, and more comfortably. It will make same-day return trips possible, reduce travel stress, and improve access to jobs, education, and tourism across cities, making intercity travel much easier and more efficient.