LUCKNOW, Feb. 2 -- Two high-speed rail corridors passing through Uttar Pradesh promise to transform the state's economic landscape and religious tourism, with Lucknow emerging as a key station on a network that will connect Delhi to Varanasi in under four hours and link the holy city to Siliguri in less than three. High-speed rail refers to trains travelling above 250 km per hour on dedicated tracks with specially designed infrastructure and rolling stock. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the details on Sunday in New Delhi, following Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman's budget announcement of seven high-speed rail corridors. These include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri. Vaishnaw said work on all seven corridors is expected to begin simultaneously in a few months after preparatory processes are completed. The Delhi-Varanasi corridor is viewed as transformative for Uttar Pradesh, connecting the national capital to a major spiritual centre. The route is expected to boost pilgrimage tourism, business travel and regional development while reducing pressure on existing rail and air networks. The Varanasi-Siliguri corridor will extend high-speed connectivity to eastern and northeastern India. With Siliguri serving as the gateway to the Northeast and Varanasi as a religious and cultural hub, UP will be positioned at the crossroads of national connectivity. "Two key corridors in North India will connect Delhi, Bihar and West Bengal while passing through several cities of Uttar Pradesh," Vaishnaw said. He added that the corridors are expected to drive economic growth, particularly in health and education. Railway officials said Lucknow will be a major station on the Delhi-Varanasi corridor. Other proposed stations include Delhi, Noida, Jewar Airport, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Etawah, Kannauj, Rae Bareli, Prayagraj, New Bhadohi and Varanasi, connecting UP's religious and industrial centres....