Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2026-27 on February 1, 2026. The government has decided to spend a record ₹2.75 lakh crore on the Ministry of Railways. The main focus is on building a modern transport network across the country. The Minister announced 7 new High-Speed Rail corridors and 5 major waterway projects to help people and goods move faster. The infrastructure push aims to lower logistics costs under the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision.
Which new High-Speed Rail routes were announced?
The government has identified seven new routes for the bullet train network. While the Mumbai-Ahmedabad line is currently under construction and expected to be fully ready by December 2029, work on these new lines will start soon. The detailed reports and land acquisition are being fast-tracked for a rollout between 2030 and 2035. The new trains on these routes will likely use indigenous technology with speeds around 250 kmph.
| Route Name | Details |
|---|---|
| Delhi – Varanasi | Approx. 865 km length |
| Varanasi – Siliguri | Extension to Northeast India |
| Mumbai – Pune | Connecting financial & IT hubs |
| Pune – Hyderabad | New high-speed link |
| Hyderabad – Chennai | Southern corridor connectivity |
| Chennai – Bengaluru | Key industrial route |
| Hyderabad – Bengaluru | IT corridor link |
What are the new plans for Waterways in Patna and Odisha?
The Finance Minister also allocated ₹70,000 crore for shipping and inland waterways. The government wants to increase cargo movement on rivers from 2% to 10% by 2030. To support this, large ships and inland vessels have been granted ‘Infrastructure Status’, which makes it easier for operators to get long-term bank loans.
- Patna (Bihar): A big hub will be built at Gai Ghat in Patna (National Waterway-1). This will connect Bihar directly to Haldia and Chittagong ports for better trade.
- Odisha: A new project (NW-5) will connect Talcher coalfields to Dhamra and Paradip ports. This project alone is estimated to cost ₹12,200 crore.
- Private Participation: The government introduced funding support for private operators to run terminals for the first 5-7 years.
