ASSAM (Metro Rail News): Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved the Northern Bullet Train Corridor connecting Delhi to Guwahati via Siliguri, marking a major development in high-speed rail connectivity across northern and northeast India. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the approval, highlighting the potential of the proposed corridor to improve connectivity across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Assam.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while welcoming the development on social media, described the achievement as something that once seemed almost impossible. He says that the bullet train through chicken’s neck sounded impossible until his request to the Railway minister in July 2026 marked a major relief for the Assam government and its people. He urged the Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for extending the ending route Siliguri, the last destination of the Northern Bullet train Corridor, till the Guwahati along the North Eastern region.
The Northern Bullet Train Corridor will reduce the time period between Delhi to Siliguri from the current 20-hours journey to just 6-hours journey. And, it will span across approximately 1500 kilometres, crossing through major cities such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal before extending into Assam. The proposed route includes Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Siliguri, and Guwahati.
Ashwini Vaishnaw pointed out how the corridor would benefit the small scale businesses, making a way for the middle to lower income people to go in the direction fo progressive growth. The fares of the high-speed rail line will be lower than the airfares, as confirmed by him. This would help not only high-income people to take advantage of the services but also would be beneficial and accessible for the people who generally cannot afford high-cost travel options.
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