Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the north corridor of the bullet train project, which is expected to transform the lives of many people.
Vaishnaw emphasised that the concept of the construction work for the bullet train, from pillar to girder, will be made in India.
“The construction is progressing rapidly. It will be fully ‘Make in India’, built by the youth and welders of India,” he said.
Speaking before flagging off the new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express services between Varanasi and New Delhi from here, Vaishnaw said, “The prime minister has approved the north corridor of the bullet train, which will change the lives of many. The vision for the bullet train shared by the prime minister will greatly benefit the youth, the middle-income group, and artisans in small-scale industries. People will remember Prime Minister Modi for the next 100 years for this initiative.” He detailed the north corridor’s route, which will connect Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Siliguri, and extend to Guwahati.
According to Vaishnaw, travel times will be significantly reduced: the journey from Delhi to Kanpur will take 1 hour and 45 minutes, from Delhi to Agra will take 59 minutes, and from Delhi to Lucknow will take 2 hours and 12 minutes. Additionally, the trip from Lucknow to Varanasi will take 1 hour and 21 minutes, while Varanasi to Delhi will take 3 hours and 35 minutes.
