Pune-Mumbai-Hyderabad High-Speed Rail Corridor Announced in Union Budget 2026-27
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has unveiled a major infrastructure initiative in her Budget speech, announcing a high-speed railway corridor that will connect Pune to Mumbai and Hyderabad. This project is part of a larger national network that includes routes such as Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri.
Challenges and Implementation Details
The ambitious project faces significant hurdles, primarily centered around land acquisition. Railway officials emphasize that this is a Herculean task that must be addressed before construction can begin. A senior railway official stated, "This new project will be hugely beneficial to commuters, but it requires land acquisition and a detailed project report (DPR). It is not part of the bullet train project." Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, confirmed these details.
Another official highlighted the time-consuming nature of land acquisition, noting, "The construction will take time because land acquisition issues must be resolved first. It's a tedious process that has delayed many rail projects nationwide. At this moment, it's difficult to say when the process will begin, but the DPR will be prepared beforehand."
Commuter Benefits and Expressway Relief
Commuters and experts have welcomed the announcement, citing frequent traffic snarls on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway as a key reason for the project's necessity. Shailesh Gadak, a regular traveler, expressed relief, saying, "This will be a major relief. We expect the high-speed rail to cut journey time by at least an hour. The expressway is no longer comfortable due to massive traffic jams and accidents."
Anand Saptarshi, a member of the Zonal Railway Users' Consultative Committee, agreed, urging "priority implementation with a time-bound approach."
Current Rail Connectivity and Delays
Currently, the distance between Mumbai and Pune by train is 191 km, with trains like the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat Express operating at a maximum speed of 110 kmph. Travel times vary:
- Deccan Queen: 3 hours 15 minutes (starts at 5:10 PM, arrives at 8:25 PM)
- Deccan Express: Over 4 hours
- Pragati Express: 3 hours 25 minutes
There are 86 movements of mail/express trains between the two cities, with 22 movements extending to Hyderabad. However, several projects linking Pune and Mumbai have faced delays, including:
- Expansion of Pune-Mumbai Expressway
- Laying third and fourth lines from Pune to Lonavla
- Expressway missing link project
- New parallel expressway
In September last year, an announcement was made to spend Rs 2,550 crore on third and fourth railway lines between Pune and Lonavla, with a total project cost estimated at Rs 5,100 crore. Half of this amount is to be borne by the Centre, while Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporations, other local bodies, and the state government share the rest. The project is being handled by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), though a Central Railway official noted, "We have no idea about it."
The high-speed corridor aims to modernize rail infrastructure with state-of-the-art tracks, a strong signaling network, and advanced safety measures to prevent accidents, offering a much-needed alternative to the congested expressway.
