Why Karnataka is demanding a third bullet train corridor
Bullet train project in Karnataka: In the Union Budget 2026-27, the centre announced two bullet train projects for Karnataka: Bangalore-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Chennai.
The travel time on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad bullet train corridor is expected to be reduced to just two hours (Image generated using AI) Bullet Train Project in India: Following the announcement of seven new bullet train corridors in the Union Budget 2026–27, demands for more high-speed rail routes in the country are rising. Recently, Karnataka Commerce and Industries Minister MB Patil met Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and proposed a new bullet train corridor between Bengaluru and Mumbai.
Bullet Train Project in Karnataka
In the Union Budget 2026-27, the centre announced two bullet train projects for Karnataka: Bangalore-Hyderabad and Bangalore-Chennai. The travel time on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad bullet train corridor is expected to be reduced to just two hours, while the Bengaluru-Chennai bullet train corridor could cut journey time to just 73 minutes.
Sharing a post on X on February 7, Patil said that he had submitted a personal request to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, seeking a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru and Mumbai. “Bengaluru is the technology capital of the country, and Mumbai is the economic capital. It is imperative to connect these two cities with the best connectivity system.
The request was made to extend the high-speed rail corridor already announced between Mumbai and Pune up to Bengaluru, and the Railway Minister responded positively to this as well,” he said.
High-Speed Rail Corridor for Karnataka
In a letter to Vaishnaw on February 3, the Karnataka minister said that in both (the Bengaluru–Hyderabad and Bengaluru–Chennai) bullet train corridors, the stretch falling within Karnataka is limited to around 100 km. He added that, as a result, the overall benefit for the people of Karnataka from these projects would be relatively limited.
“In order to ensure wider and more meaningful benefits to the people of our State, I humbly request your kind consideration for a High-Speed Rail Corridor between Bengaluru, the IT capital of India, and Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country. If this corridor is aligned through the central and northern regions of Karnataka, it would provide rapid connectivity to several important but presently under-connected regions of the State.
Further, the proposed corridor would extend substantially within Maharashtra as well, thereby benefiting the people of both Karnataka and Maharashtra socially and economically. In this context, as a High-Speed Rail Project has already been announced between Pune and Mumbai, connecting the same to Bengaluru would greatly enhance its utility and strategic importance. In view of the above, I respectfully request that the feasibility of a Bengaluru–Mumbai High-Speed Rail Corridor be considered,” Patil wrote.
ಕೇಂದ್ರ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಸಚಿವರಾದ ಶ್ರೀ ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ ವೈಷ್ಣವ್ ಅವರೊಂದಿಗೆ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಯೋಜನೆಗಳ ಕುರಿತು ಚರ್ಚೆ
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು-ಮುಂಬೈ ಹೈಸ್ಪೀಡ್ ರೈಲು, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು- ವಿಜಯಪುರ ವಂದೇ ಭಾರತ್ ರೈಲು ಮತ್ತು ದಿನವಹಿ ವಿಶೇಷ ರೈಲಿಗೆ ಕೋರಿಕೆರಾಜ್ಯ ರಾಜಧಾನಿಯಿಂದ ವಿಜಯಪುರಕ್ಕೆ ವಂದೇ ಭಾರತ್ ಸ್ಲೀಪರ್ ಎಕ್ಸ್ಪ್ರೆಸ್ ರೈಲು, ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು-ಮುಂಬೈ ನಡುವೆ… pic.twitter.com/0ZaAp7ks0n
— M B Patil (@MBPatil) February 7, 2026
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