4 min readJun 29, 2026 04:12 PM IST
Bullet train projects in India: The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) has invited bids for the development of civil structure designs for the proposed Bengaluru-Chennai and Delhi-Varanasi bullet train corridors. The two corridors were announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 as part of the government’s next phase of high-speed rail expansion, alongside five other proposed routes: Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai and Varanasi-Siliguri.
DPR for bullet train corridors in India
In a statement, NHSRCL said that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for four of the seven high-speed rail corridors announced earlier have already been sanctioned, while surveys are currently underway for the remaining three corridors. The corporation added that alignment validation and pre-tender Geotechnical Investigation (GTI) works are also in progress.
According to NHSRCL, the seven proposed high-speed rail corridors will together span around 4,000 route km (RKM). “To take up such a large volume of work in fast pace, it is envisaged to adopt the best Design & Construction practices as adopted in MAHSR (Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail) corridor with further advancement. Keeping in view of this, NHSRCL decided to take up the work of standardisation of designs of various structures,” the NHSRCL said.
Bengaluru-Chennai bullet train corridor
The proposed Bengaluru–Chennai bullet train is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities to just 1 hour and 13 minutes. According to NHSRCL’s bid document, the corridor will feature three underground stations: Chennai, Whitefield and Baiyappanahalli.
Among these, Chennai and Baiyappanahalli are planned as terminal stations, each with two platforms and six railway lines to accommodate high-speed train operations.
- Two island and two side platforms of 415m length
- Number of lines – 6
- Cross-over length for 120 kmph speed
- Terminal Station
On the other hand, the Whitefield bullet train station is planned with two side platforms and one island platform, along with two railway lines, according to the bid document.
- Two side/ One island platform of 415m length
- Number of lines – 2
- Cross-over length for 120kmph speed
- All trains stopping
According to the bid document, the selected consultancy will also be responsible for designing three major tunnels along the Bengaluru-Chennai high-speed rail corridor. These include: the 3.87-km Chennai Terminal approach tunnel, the 14.79-km mountain tunnel through the Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary and the 15.92-km Bengaluru Terminal approach tunnel.
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Delhi-Varanasi bullet train corridor
The proposed Delhi-Varanasi bullet train is expected to reduce travel time between the two cities to just 3 hours and 50 minutes. According to NHSRCL’s bid document, the corridor will feature one underground station at Jewar. The proposed station will feature two island platforms and four railway lines.
- Two island platforms of 415m length
- Number of lines – 4
- Cross-over length for 120kmph speed
- All trains stopping
The selected consultant will be responsible for preparing specifications, standards, and structural designs for underground stations, shafts, cut-and-cover sections, tunnels, and their ancillary structures along the high-speed rail corridors.
The scope of work also includes planning and developing specifications, standards, and structural designs for earth structures required for the high-speed rail network.
“The Design shall be safe, reliable, comfortable and cost-effective for operation of double track High-Speed Rail (HSR) at 320Kmph (Design speed = 350 Kmph) with due consideration to the site conditions including environmental, ground, materials etc,” it said.
