Travel from Delhi to Siliguri will take only 6 hours: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the Delhi–Siliguri bullet train route as part of the expansion of the country’s bullet train network. Speaking in Kolkata today, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a bullet train for West Bengal. Under this plan, the national capital Delhi will be connected to Siliguri through a bullet train. The Railway Minister stated that the Delhi–Siliguri bullet train will pass through Lucknow, Varanasi, and Patna before reaching Siliguri in West Bengal.

At the state secretariat in Kolkata, the Railway Minister said that once the bullet train service begins, the journey from Delhi to Siliguri will be completed in just six hours. The distance between Delhi and Siliguri is approximately 1,500 kilometers. However, he did not provide further details about the project, such as when it will begin, when it will be completed, or where the stations will be built. It is believed that following Ashwini Vaishnaw’s announcement, work on the project may begin soon.

During a meeting held at the state secretariat today, the Union Railway Minister also announced the introduction of 60 new-generation metro rakes over the next 4–5 years to modernize the Kolkata Metro network. Emphasizing the rapid expansion of the Kolkata Metro, he noted that while only 27 kilometers of lines were added across Kolkata over the previous 40 years, 45 kilometers of lines have been added in the last 11 years.

Ashwini Vaishnaw said that West Bengal has been allocated a record railway budget of ₹14,205 crore, which will help improve passenger and logistics services. He added that during the UPA government’s tenure, when Mamata Banerjee served as Railway Minister, West Bengal received only about ₹4,000 crore for railways.

He also referred to the proposed East–West Dedicated Freight Corridor from Dankuni in West Bengal to Surat in Gujarat, stating that the 2,052-kilometer route has been designed to significantly enhance logistics and trade capacity between India’s eastern and western industrial hubs.
(UPDATED ON 6TH JUNE 2026)