Bullet train to cut Delhi-Varanasi journey to 3.5 hours:Stops at Agra, Kanpur and Lucknow; PM Modi approves northern corridor

A bullet train will connect New Delhi to Varanasi in 3 hours 30 minutes and cover the distance from New Delhi to Agra in one hour, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Varanasi on Saturday, announcing that the Prime Minister had approved the Northern Corridor of the Delhi-Varanasi-Guwahati bullet train project. The corridor will begin in Delhi and connect Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow and Ayodhya before extending to Guwahati via Varanasi, Patna and Siliguri. Also Read: New Vande Bharat sleeper-train to cover Varanasi-Delhi in 9 hrs The journey to Varanasi currently takes 10 hours Varanasi is around 807 km from Delhi. Trains such as the Tejas and Rajdhani take more than 10 hours to cover this distance. The bullet train will reduce the journey time to just 3 hours 30 minutes. According to railway sources, the schedules of the bullet train arriving in Varanasi from Siliguri and the train departing from Varanasi for Delhi will be planned in such a way that passengers can get off one train and board the other. A flight takes around 4 hours A flight from Varanasi to Delhi takes 1 hour 40 minutes. However, when the time spent travelling to the airport, boarding the aircraft and leaving the airport after landing is included, the total journey takes around four hours. The bullet train will have more seats than the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train India’s first bullet train will operate between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The bullet train between Varanasi and Siliguri will have a higher passenger capacity. At present, plans are in place for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train to have 731 seats. In comparison, the bullet train running from Varanasi to Siliguri via Patna will be able to carry 750 passengers. Bullet train to have an earthquake warning system An earthquake warning system is being installed on a bullet train in India for the first time. The system is based on Japanese technology. If an earthquake occurs, it will immediately cut off the power supply. Once the power is cut, the emergency brakes will engage and bring the train to a halt. Benefits of the bullet train