Bengaluru: The Union Budget announcement of a high-speed rail corridor linking Bengaluru with Hyderabad and Chennai evoked a mixed response. While the proposed bullet train connectivity with the two metropolitan cities is expected to transform inter-city travel by significantly reducing travel time, concerns remain over its broader regional impact on Karnataka.On Tuesday, while outlining the budgetary allocation for railway projects in Karnataka, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said with the bullet train projects linking Bengaluru to Chennai and Hyderabad, the city has become part of the High-Speed Diamond Project, with Amaravati also included in the network.
“The two new bullet train corridors will make a big difference for people living in Bengaluru. Travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai will be just 1 hour and 13 minutes. With this project, the 2 cities will, in a sense, be merged. Similarly, travel between Bengaluru and Hyderabad will take only 2 hours,” the minister said, describing the project as a game-changer.Vaishnaw said Karnataka received a budgetary allocation of Rs 7,748 crore for railway projects, and that projects worth ₹53,000 crore are currently underway in the State.
