There was a time when high-speed trains were mostly associated with Japan and China. Now, India has joined the global high-speed rail map. At present, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed corridor is under construction.
The big news is that the two Telugu states Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will soon get their own high-speed trains. This was announced in the Union Budget. The move is expected to bring major improvements in regional connectivity.
People from both states are excited that Hyderabad to Amaravati will take just 1 hour 15 minutes once the project is completed. Hyderabad to Anantapur will take around 1 hour 30 minutes. This will be a major change from current travel times.
Hyderabad to Khammam and Kurnool will be completed in less than one hour. In Telangana, the trains will stop at Shamshabad, Narketpally, Suryapet, Wanaparthy road, Mahbubnagar and Khammam. In Andhra Pradesh, the stops will be at Chirala, Kavali and Gudur.
In the Budget presented by Nirmala Sitharaman, three high-speed routes were announced from Hyderabad. These include Hyderabad to Chennai, Hyderabad to Bengaluru and Hyderabad to Pune. All three routes will pass through both Telugu states.
Vande Bharat trains have already been introduced with speeds of up to 180 km per hour. In the new high-speed corridors, tracks will be designed to handle speeds of up to 350 km per hour. However, average running speeds may remain between 200 and 250 km per hour.
Until now, travelling to Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune took nearly 12 to 15 hours. With high-speed trains, the journey time will reduce to just 3 to 3.5 hours. This is expected to boost business and economic activity.
The high-speed corridors will be greenfield projects and separate from regular railway lines. Fencing will be installed along the entire route to prevent cattle or obstacles. This will ensure safety and smooth operations.
The Railway Ministry has time till the end of February to submit the DPR for the Hyderabad-Chennai corridor. The Hyderabad-Bengaluru DPR is expected by the end of March. These reports will decide the project timeline.
The overall cost is expected to be very high and completion may take several years. All coaches will be fully air-conditioned. Ticket prices are also likely to be high once the services begin.
