Delhi to Varanasi in 157 minutes, board high speed bullet train every 22 minutes from 2029
The preliminary cost of the project is estimated to be about Rs 52,680 crore. If all goes according to plan, there could be a Bullet Train between Delhi and Varanasi by 2029.
FollowAfter the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor, a second bullet train project linking Delhi-Varanasi is under process. In a bid to reduce travel time for trains running on the Golden Quadrilateral network, the ‘Bullet Train’ is planned to start cruising on the Delhi-Varanasi High Speed Rail Corridor (DVHSR) by 2029.
The Delhi-Varanasi high speed rail project will be 958 km long having a 123 km long spur connecting Lucknow and Ayodhya, according to a Times of India report. The route will comprise a mix of elevated stretches and tunnels considering the security requirements of the route. An underground station will also come up at the upcoming Jewar airport in Noida.
On February 11, while replying to a question in Rajya Sabha, the railway ministry announced plans to undertake a survey and prepare the detailed project report (DPR) for seven corridors, including DVHSR.
One of the draft reports from conducting several high-speed feasibility tests for the Delhi-Kolkata stretch says that the distance between Delhi-Varanasi will be covered in 2 hours and 37 minutes in a bullet train. The same study goes on to say that the distance between Delhi-Lucknow will be covered in 1 hour and 38 minutes.
There will be a total of 12 stations covering major pilgrimages in UP. The total project cost is estimated to be around Rs 2.3 lakh crore.
Since the route alignment of DVHSR is along the Yamuna and Agra-Lucknow Expressway and proposed Ganga Expressway to avoid forest and wildlife, the train is likely to have its station in Lucknow at the Avadh crossing. “Total 43 trains per day will reach the Avadh crossing station every 22 minutes,” said an official.
The move will give a boost to tourism to Eastern Uttar Pradesh. There will be 63 trips between Delhi and Agra in a day, 43 trips between Delhi and Lucknow, 18 trips between Delhi and Varanasi and 11 trips between Delhi and Ayodhya on a daily basis.
According to a media report, the project connecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency with the national capital is a priority for the ruling BJP government.
