Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], April 28 (ANI): Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday outlined plans for a high-speed bullet train network in South India, saying it will drastically reduce travel time and create a unified economic region across major cities.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, Vaishnaw said the proposed high-speed rail network will connect key cities including Amaravati, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai, bringing significant improvements in connectivity.

He said travel time between Amaravati and Hyderabad will be reduced to 70 minutes, while between Amaravati and Chennai it will take 112 minutes. Hyderabad to Pune will be covered in one hour and 55 minutes, Pune to Mumbai in 48 minutes, Chennai to Bengaluru in 73 minutes, and Hyderabad to Bengaluru in about two hours and eight minutes.

Minister stated, 'The bullet train, the dream project for all of us. And as you are aware, if you have seen the videos of the progress of Ahmedabad to Mumbai bullet train, that 500 kilometer stretch will be completed in one hour and 57 minutes. So basically, Mumbai, Surat, Vapi, Baroda, Ahmedabad, all those large cities will become one single economic zone, one single economic region. That same magic will now happen in Andhra also, Amravati to Hyderabad in 70 minutes'.

Vaishnaw said such connectivity will create a 'high-speed diamond' across southern states.

The minister also announced that the long-awaited South Coast Railway Zone will be notified on June 1, 2026, fulfilling a key commitment made during the reorganisation of states.

He further highlighted plans to expand railway capacity along the eastern coast, stating that existing double railway lines from Kolkata to Chennai will be upgraded to four lines. This expansion is expected to enable the operation of around 500 new trains, including cargo and passenger services, improving connectivity to ports, tourism destinations and cultural centres.

Highlighting railway development in Andhra Pradesh, the minister said the budget allocation has increased significantly over the years. He noted that earlier, the combined railway budget for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana was Rs 886 crore, whereas now Andhra Pradesh alone is receiving Rs 10,134 crore.

He added that railway infrastructure development in the state has accelerated, with projects worth over Rs 1,06,000 crore underway. The government is also reconstructing 74 railway stations in Andhra Pradesh as part of a broader modernisation initiative.

Addressing the industry, Vaishnaw urged companies, including those involved in data centre development, to focus on manufacturing servers in India. He also encouraged collaboration under the India AI mission to improve power efficiency and called for efforts to reduce water consumption in data centre operations, emphasising sustainability.

He said the government is ready to support industry initiatives in areas such as energy efficiency, recycling, and wastewater use, adding that sustainable practices must be a priority as India expands its digital infrastructure.

The minister said that enhanced railway and digital connectivity will together play a key role in driving economic growth and strengthening integration across regions. (ANI)