Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday has unveiled a rail infrastructure expansion for West Bengal, headlined by a new bullet train corridor designed to link New Delhi with Siliguri, the crucial gateway to the Northeast. The announcement covers metro modernisation, high-speed rail connectivity, and large-scale investment aimed at transforming the state's transport network.
"A bullet train project will come to West Bengal. It will connect Delhi and Siliguri via Lucknow, Varanasi, and Patna," the Union Minister said, as per News18.
If implemented, the project could reduce travel time between the national capital and North Bengal from nearly 20 hours to around six hours, significantly improving connectivity to the northeastern region.
The Centre has outlined railway projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore in West Bengal, marking one of the largest infrastructure commitments in the state's rail sector in recent years.
The package includes upgrades to existing railway lines, the expansion of urban and semi-urban connectivity, and extensive redevelopment of stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
A key highlight of the announcement is a major overhaul of the Kolkata Metro system, with plans to introduce around 60 next-generation metro trains over the next four to five years.
“In 42 years, only 28 kilometres of metro work had been completed when an opposition government was in power here. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, 45 kilometres of metro lines have been completed in Kolkata," he said, as mentioned by News18.
The plan aligns with India's broader push to expand high-speed rail connectivity beyond the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, signalling long-term strategic investment in eastern India's transport infrastructure.
The Minister highlighted the shift in financial priorities between administrations, noting that the railway budget for West Bengal has increased from Rs 4,000 crore under the UPA government to Rs 14,205 crore under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported News18.
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