Telangana Cabinet clears 3 bullet train alignments

The Cabinet approved revised alignments for the Hyderabad-Mumbai, Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Chennai corridors, and allotted 400 acres at Shamshabad.

Hyderabad: The Telangana Cabinet on Friday, July 17, approved revised alignment proposals for three proposed high-speed rail corridors connecting Hyderabad with Mumbai (via Pune), Bengaluru and Chennai, marking a major step towards integrating the state into India’s planned high-speed rail network.

The Cabinet also approved the allocation of 400 acres of land near Shamshabad for a common high-speed rail station and rolling stock depot. Officials have been directed to expedite land acquisition, utility shifting and departmental clearances required for the projects.

The state government will forward its approved alignments to the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which will take the final decision on the alignments and station locations.

The Cabinet also decided that the final alignments would be incorporated into the master plans of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) and the Future City Development Authority.

Telangana to play key role

The Union government had announced seven high-speed rail corridors across the country in the 2026 Union Budget, of which three originate from Hyderabad. The projects will pass through Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

The combined length of the three corridors is proposed to be 2,028 km, with 512 km passing through Telangana, making the state a key component of the network.

According to officials, the alignments for the Hyderabad-Chennai and Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridors have been revised following suggestions from the Telangana government.

The Hyderabad-Chennai corridor, which was initially proposed via Narketpally, Suryapet and Khammam, has now been realigned through Future City and Nagarjunasagar. Similarly, the Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor has been shifted from the Mahabubnagar-Wanaparthy route to pass through Future City, Mannanur and Somasila.

Special Chief Secretary for Transport and Roads & Buildings Vikas Raj presented the revised proposals before the Cabinet.

Station locations revised

The government has also approved several changes to station locations and names to improve passenger accessibility and accommodate future urban development.

The proposed Kokapet station has been renamed Cyberabad, while its location is expected to be shifted about 500 metres west of the originally proposed site.

The proposed Vikarabad station has been relocated closer to the Ananthagiri Hills tourist destination and renamed Ananthagiri.

Similarly, the proposed Mannanur station has been renamed Nallamala and will be located near the proposed elevated corridor on the Hyderabad-Srisailam National Highway.

The alignment near Somasila has also been modified to avoid protected forest areas. The station will be constructed near the town, facilitating the proposed iconic bridge across the Krishna River before the corridor enters Kurnool district.

Officials said the project also includes a 4.6-km tunnel near Vikarabad, which will be one of the key engineering features of the corridor.

Shamshabad to become common hub

The state government plans to develop Shamshabad as the common hub for all three high-speed rail corridors in South India.

The location will house the main rolling stock depot and maintenance workshop, for which the state has allocated 400 acres. A smaller depot and an operations control centre are also proposed near the Cyberabad station.

The three corridors are planned to run parallel to the proposed Regional Ring Road (RRR) for a considerable distance and will be integrated with Hyderabad Metro stations wherever feasible.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Hyderabad-Pune-Mumbai corridor has already been submitted to the Railway Board, while DPRs for the Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Chennai corridors are currently under preparation.

The state government has proposed a land-swap arrangement with the Centre for the 400 acres allocated at Shamshabad, under which the Railways may either provide equivalent land elsewhere or compensate the state for land acquisition.

Officials also said the alignments have been modified to minimise environmental impact and reduce diversion of forest land.

Proposed stations

Hyderabad-Pune-Mumbai: Shamshabad, Cyberabad and Ananthagiri.

Hyderabad-Bengaluru: Shamshabad, Bharat Future City, Amangal, Nallamala and Somasila.

Hyderabad-Chennai: Shamshabad, Bharat Future City, Dry Port, Nagarjunasagar (Haliya) and Vadapally.