Bullet Train Bonanza: Hyderabad-Chennai Slashed to 2 Hours!

The 778-km Hyderabad–Chennai high-speed rail project has gained significant traction with South Central Railway (SCR) submitting the final alignment to the Tamil Nadu government for inclusion in the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

SCR has also requested approvals to continue survey work. The DPR will be completed within a month of receiving the state’s clearance, said I. Jayakumar, Member Secretary of CUMTA, noting that the alignment was revised at Tamil Nadu’s request to include Tirupati instead of Gudur. The proposed bullet train will cut travel time from 12 hours to just two hours and 20 minutes.

Tamil Nadu will host two stations — Chennai Central and another near Minjur on the Ring Road — and SCR has sought 50 acres around each for transit-oriented development. The state’s 61-km stretch will require 223.44 hectares of non-forest land and includes an 11.6-km tunnel. Railways has urged swift approvals, joint inspections and timely finalisation of station locations to keep the project on schedule.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.