In a major development for Northeast India’s connectivity, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the extension of the proposed Northern Bullet Train Corridor to Guwahati, potentially bringing the national capital within eight hours of Assam.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the approval on October 31, 2026, while speaking at the launch of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express between Varanasi and New Delhi. The proposed corridor will connect Delhi with major cities across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal before extending into Assam.
The proposed route includes Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna and Siliguri, with Guwahati serving as its northeastern terminus.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma welcomed the decision, revealing that the original proposal was intended to end at Siliguri. He said he had written to the Railway Minister and met him in July to push for Guwahati’s inclusion. According to Sarma, the extension could reduce the Delhi–Guwahati journey to under eight hours.
Currently, the fastest conventional rail journey between Guwahati and Delhi takes approximately 28 hours. The proposed high-speed connection would therefore represent a dramatic reduction in travel time.
The project could also have significant economic implications for the Northeast. Faster connectivity with major commercial centres could encourage tourism, improve access to markets, attract investment and support the movement of skilled professionals. Sarma has particularly highlighted the potential benefits for Assam’s ambitions to attract high-tech industries.
However, the announcement does not mean that construction or passenger services are about to begin. Detailed alignment, project implementation timelines and other execution details are yet to be established.
If realised, the corridor would mark a major milestone in bringing Northeast India into the country’s emerging high-speed railway network.
