Budget 2026-27: record ₹2.93 lakh crore rail capex, seven high-speed corridors, Dankuni–Surat freight corridor
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, gave Indian Railways a record capital expenditure of ₹2,93,030 crore and announced seven high-speed rail corridors and a new Dankuni–Surat dedicated freight corridor.
Summary
The Union Budget 2026-27, presented on 1 February 2026, gave Indian Railways a record capital expenditure of ₹2,93,030 crore, with nearly ₹1.20 lakh crore earmarked for safety. Seven high-speed rail corridors will be developed as 'growth connectors': Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri; Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said they span about 4,000 km. A new 2,052 km dedicated freight corridor will link Dankuni in West Bengal with Surat. On waterways, 20 new National Waterways will be operationalised over five years, starting with NW-5 in Odisha linking Talcher and Angul to Paradip and Dhamra ports, and a Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme aims to raise the share of inland waterways and coastal shipping from 6% to 12% by 2047.
Key facts
- Railway capex
- ₹2,93,030 crore (record)
- Safety
- Nearly ₹1.20 lakh crore
- High-speed corridors
- 7, about 4,000 km
- New DFC
- Dankuni (WB)–Surat, 2,052 km
- National Waterways
- 20 new over 5 years; starting with NW-5 in Odisha
- Coastal and inland shipping share
- 6% → 12% by 2047
Practice MCQs 4 questions
What record capital expenditure was planned for Indian Railways in the Union Budget 2026-27?
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Correct answer: A — ₹2,93,030 crore
A record capex of ₹2,93,030 crore was planned for Indian Railways.
The new dedicated freight corridor announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 will connect Dankuni with which city?
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Correct answer: B — Surat
The 2,052 km dedicated freight corridor will link Dankuni in the east with Surat in the west.
Which of the following is NOT among the seven high-speed rail corridors announced in the Union Budget 2026-27?
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Correct answer: D — Delhi–Amritsar
The seven are Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Hyderabad–Chennai, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri.
Consider the following about the transport proposals in the Union Budget 2026-27: 1. The rollout of 20 new National Waterways will begin with NW-5 in Odisha, linking Talcher and Angul to the ports of Paradip and Dhamra. 2. The Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme aims to raise the share of inland waterways and coastal shipping to 12% by 2047. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: C — Both 1 and 2
Both are correct; the target is to raise the share from 6% to 12% by 2047.