New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Northern Bullet Train Corridor, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. The proposed
network could bring high-speed rail to Uttar Pradesh and cut travel time between Delhi and Varanasi to three hours and 33 minutes.
Speaking to ANI, Vaishnaw said the corridor would serve the country for decades, potentially for a century.
Shorter journeys across cities
“With the bullet train, travel times will be significantly reduced: Delhi to Kanpur in 1 hour 45 minutes; Delhi to Agra in 59 minutes; Delhi to Lucknow in 2 hours 12 minutes; Varanasi to Lucknow in 1 hour 21 minutes; Varanasi to Patna in 1 hour; Varanasi to Delhi in 3 hours 33 minutes; Varanasi to Prayagraj in 33 minutes; and Varanasi to Agra in 2 hours 34 minutes,” Vaishnaw said.
“This crucial Northern Corridor will drive a complete transformation in the coming years, offering immense convenience to our middle-class families, the underprivileged, the youth, small-scale entrepreneurs, and the MSME sector,” he added.
Fares below air travel
Vaishnaw said some people might portray bullet trains as a service meant only for wealthy passengers. He said the government’s infrastructure plans also sought to benefit farmers, middle-class families and economically weaker sections.
The minister indicated that fares between Delhi and Varanasi would remain below airfares to make the service accessible to more passengers.
Bridge completion by 2029
During a recent inspection of a new bridge project across the Ganga in Varanasi, Vaishnaw announced that the structure would be called Namo Bridge. The approximately 2.5-km bridge has an estimated cost of Rs 2,657 crore and a completion target of 2029. Its upper deck will carry a six-lane road, while the lower deck will accommodate four railway tracks. The project is expected to improve connectivity to Kashi Railway Station and access to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Namo Ghat.
Capacity for additional trains
According to the project details, the additional tracks could create capacity for more than 100 extra trains, benefiting passengers across Varanasi, Bihar and Purvanchal. The bridge is also expected to reduce pressure on existing railway routes and ease city traffic. It will connect Varanasi from three directions, with the Prime Minister’s adopted village on one side and Namo Ghat on the other.
