South high-speed rail triangle to link Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyd: Vaishnaw

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the rail-based transportation ecosystem in the country is set to undergo a paradigm shift with the announcement of new high-speed rail corridors.

Addressing a press conference at Rail Bhawan, Vaishnaw said that in South India, the Chennai–Bengaluru–Hyderabad high-speed network would form a “South High-Speed Triangle” (or Diamond), seamlessly connecting major economic and IT hubs. He said travel times would be drastically reduced, with Chennai–Bengaluru taking about 1 hour and 13 minutes, Bengaluru–Hyderabad around 2 hours, and Chennai–Hyderabad approximately 2 hours and 55 minutes. The network is expected to act as a powerful growth multiplier for Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry by enhancing connectivity and accelerating regional development.

In western and central India, the proposed Mumbai–Pune high-speed corridor will reduce travel time to about 48 minutes, effectively integrating the two major urban centres. Vaishnaw added that connectivity from Pune to Hyderabad in around 1 hour and 55 minutes, along with onward links to southern hubs, would create a continuous high-speed rail spine across regions.

The Minister said these projects would not only benefit passengers through faster and more convenient travel but also strengthen economic integration, employment generation, and overall regional prosperity.