- Delhi and Patna may be linked by a new high-speed rail corridor soon
- The route will connect Delhi with Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi
- Delhi-Agra travel could take just 58 minutes on the proposed bullet train
Delhi and Patna could soon be connected by a high-speed rail corridor that may dramatically cut travel times across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
The proposed bullet train route is expected to connect Delhi with Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Patna, creating a faster link between several major cities.
According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the proposed corridor could bring Delhi and Agra within just 58 minutes of each other.
The journey to Kanpur could take around 1 hour and 50 minutes, while Delhi-Lucknow travel may be reduced to about 2 hours and 12 minutes, as per the Mint.
The proposed service could also significantly shorten longer journeys. Delhi to Prayagraj may take nearly three hours, while passengers travelling to Varanasi could reach the city in around 3 hours and 33 minutes.
The longest proposed route, Delhi to Patna, covering nearly 1,170 km, could take approximately 4.5 hours.
Vaishnaw has described the corridor as a possible next step after the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project. If approved and implemented, the network could strengthen connectivity between Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar while supporting tourism, business and regional economic activity.
Meanwhile, work on India's first bullet train project is progressing. Testing of the indigenously developed train is expected to begin around May or June 2027.
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The testing phase is likely to continue for two to four months before the service is inaugurated.
The minister also said the first train body frame has been completed and sent for testing.
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is being developed alongside broader railway modernisation efforts, including station redevelopment, new tracks and upgraded freight infrastructure.
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