India, Feb. 1 -- In a bid to promote "environmentally sustainable" travel across the country, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed development of seven new high-speed rail corridors in the country on February 1, 2026. Putting forward the proposal during her speech to deliver the Union Budget for 2026-27, Sitharaman said these corridors will provide faster passenger systems connecting major economic and cultural cities in India.

The seven corridor routes proposed are Mumbai-Pune; Pune-Hyderabad; Hyderabad-Bengaluru; Hyderabad-Chennai; Chennai-Bengaluru; Delhi-Varanasi; and Varanasi-Siliguri. These corridors will serve as "growth connectors" to link the cities' financial hubs, industrial and technological centres and populati...