Good news for travellers: Vaishnaw shares South India bullet train plan; Amaravati–Hyderabad in 70 minutes

Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, unveiled plans for a high-speed bullet train network in South India, aimed at cutting travel time drastically and boosting regional connectivity across major cities.

What is the South India bullet train plan?

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam, Vaishnaw said the proposed network will connect key cities including Amaravati, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai.

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He said the project is designed to create a seamless, high-speed transport corridor that will link economic and industrial hubs across southern and western India.

How much travel time will reduce?

The minister shared indicative travel times under the proposed network:

• Amaravati–Hyderabad: 70 minutes
• Amaravati–Chennai: 112 minutes
• Hyderabad–Pune: 1 hour 55 minutes
• Pune–Mumbai: 48 minutes
• Chennai–Bengaluru: 73 minutes
• Hyderabad–Bengaluru: about 2 hours 8 minutes

These reductions are expected to significantly improve inter-city mobility and reduce dependence on longer rail and road journeys.

‘High-speed diamond’ to boost economic integration

Vaishnaw described the project as a transformative step that will create a “high-speed economic region” across South India.

Referring to the ongoing Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project, he said a similar impact is expected in southern states, where faster connectivity could integrate cities into a single economic zone.

He added that such a network would help improve business travel, logistics and regional development.

Railway expansion along eastern coast

The minister also announced plans to upgrade the existing railway corridor from Kolkata to Chennai from double to four lines.

This expansion is expected to enable the operation of around 500 additional trains, including passenger and cargo services, improving connectivity to ports, tourism centres and industrial hubs.

South Coast Railway Zone to be notified

Vaishnaw said the long-awaited South Coast Railway Zone will be notified on June 1, 2026, fulfilling a key commitment made during state reorganisation.

The move is expected to strengthen railway administration and infrastructure development in the region.

Boost for Andhra Pradesh rail infrastructure

Highlighting investment in Andhra Pradesh, the minister said the railway budget allocation has increased significantly over the years.

• Earlier allocation (undivided Andhra Pradesh and Telangana): Rs 886 crore
• Current allocation (Andhra Pradesh alone): Rs 10,134 crore

He added that projects worth over Rs 1,06,000 crore are currently underway in the state.

As part of modernisation efforts, 74 railway stations in Andhra Pradesh are also being redeveloped.

Focus on sustainability and digital infrastructure

Addressing industry stakeholders, Vaishnaw urged companies to focus on manufacturing servers in India and collaborate under the India AI mission.

He emphasised the need to improve energy efficiency and reduce water consumption in data centres, calling for sustainable growth as India expands its digital and rail infrastructure. If implemented as planned, the South India bullet train network could:

• Cut travel time between major cities drastically
• Improve business and tourism connectivity
• Create integrated economic corridors
• Boost infrastructure and regional growth