Overview

• The government outlined a plan to build 7,000 km of high-speed passenger corridors with trains operating up to 350 km/h by 2047.
• For the 508 km Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet line, a first section is slated to open in 2027 with full completion targeted for 2029, with the minister citing rapid construction progress.
• Detailed project reports have been submitted for Delhi–Varanasi, Delhi–Ahmedabad, Nagpur–Mumbai, Mumbai–Hyderabad, and Delhi–Amritsar, with Chennai–Mysore and Varanasi–Howrah in finalization.
• A ₹2.65 trillion FY26 capital outlay was announced to fund capacity expansion, dedicated passenger corridors, and safety upgrades including the rollout of Kavach 4.0 and development of Kavach 5.0.
• Vaishnaw warned suppliers to meet stricter quality standards or face debarment, delisting, or blacklisting, and highlighted indigenous development of a 2,400 kW hydrogen train and next-gen Vande Bharat 4.0 and Amrit Bharat 4.0 designs.