Government approves Northern Corridor bullet train project to connect Delhi and Guwahati
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project will be built under the Make in India initiative with economical fares.
The Narendra Modi-led government approved the 'Northern Corridor' of the bullet train project on Saturday, according to Mint. The corridor will connect Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Siliguri and Guwahati.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that the journey from Delhi to Agra will take 59 minutes once the corridor is built. He said the trip from Delhi to Kanpur will take 1 hour 45 minutes, while Delhi to Lucknow will take 2 hours 12 minutes.
Vaishnaw stated that travel from Delhi to Varanasi will take 3 hours 33 minutes and the journey to Prayagraj will take 33 minutes. He added that bullet train fares would be very economical and much less than flight tickets.
The minister said the project would be built under the Make in India initiative and would be fully built by Indian youth and welders. He also noted that the construction is progressing rapidly.
In Varanasi, 10 MEMU services are being launched today to cover locations including Banaras City, Banaras Cantt, Banaras Station and Rajatalab. A new MEMU service will also connect Varanasi with Prayagraj, starting from Prayagraj Rambagh station and passing through Jhusi, Handia Khas, Gyanpur Road, Madhosingh and Rajatalab.