The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the Ministry of Railways have completed dozens of infrastructure projects that significantly reduce travel time between Indian cities and regions. These include bridges over major rivers, tunnels through mountains, access-controlled expressways and new-generation trains, all designed to make journeys faster and more direct.
Key facts
- Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Assam-Arunachal Pradesh): travel time cut from 6 hours to 1 hour
- Atal Setu (Mumbai Trans Harbour Link): journey reduced from 2 hours to 20 minutes
- Kosi Rail Mahasetu (Bihar): rail journey cut from 8 hours to 30 minutes
- Atal Tunnel (Himachal Pradesh): saves 4 to 5 hours on Manali-Sarchu route
- Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel (Jammu & Kashmir): saves nearly 2 hours between Jammu and Srinagar
- Delhi-Meerut Expressway: travel time cut from 2.5 hours to 50 minutes over 82 km
- Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor: journey reduced from 6 hours to 2.5 hours over 213 km
- Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway: travel time cut from 3 hours to 75 minutes over 118 km
- Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg: journey cut from 16 hours to 8 hours over 701 km
- Delhi-Mumbai Expressway: expected to reduce travel from 33 hours to 12 hours
- Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor: journey to be cut to 1 hour 58 minutes, operational by August 2027
- Seven new high-speed rail corridors announced with 4,000 km coverage and investment of Rs 16 lakh crore
- 549 trains across the rail network were speeded up in the 2026 timetable
River bridges reducing long detours
Several major bridge projects have eliminated lengthy river crossings that previously forced travellers onto indirect routes. The Bhupen Hazarika Setu connecting Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has cut travel time between Rupai and Meka-Roing by five hours. The Bogibeel Bridge, a rail-cum-road structure over the Brahmaputra, has transformed journeys between Dhemaji and Dibrugarh from almost a full day to just one to two hours. The Kosi Rail Mahasetu in Bihar has become one of the most dramatic examples, reducing a 300-kilometre rail journey to just 22 kilometres and cutting travel time from eight hours to 30 minutes.
Mountain tunnels creating all-weather routes
In difficult terrain across the Himalayas and Northeast, tunnels are bypassing winding roads and vulnerable stretches. The Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh removes the need to cross Rohtang Pass and cuts the Manali-Sarchu distance by 46 kilometres, saving four to five hours and providing year-round access to Lahaul-Spiti. In Jammu and Kashmir, the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel and the Banihal-Qazigund Road Tunnel have together cut journey times between major cities by roughly two hours. The Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, built at an altitude of 13,000 feet, ensures all-weather connectivity on the strategic Tezpur-Tawang route.
Expressways compressing inter-city travel
Access-controlled expressways with higher speed limits and fewer stops are transforming how Indians travel between major cities. The Delhi-Meerut Expressway reduced the journey from 2.5 hours to 50 minutes. The Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway brings the trip down from three hours to 75 minutes. The 213-kilometre Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, opened in April 2026, has cut travel from six hours to 2.5 hours. The Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, at 701 kilometres, has nearly halved travel time from 16 hours to roughly eight hours. The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, still under development, aims to reduce the journey from 33 hours to 12 hours. The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, completed in July 2026, cuts Delhi-Amritsar travel from eight hours to four hours and Delhi-Katra travel from 14 hours to six hours, boosting access to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi.
New trains and high-speed rail networks
The Ministry of Railways has rolled out faster trains and dedicated corridors. The Vande Bharat Express fleet operates on multiple routes: the New Delhi-Varanasi service is 40 to 50 percent faster than earlier trains, the Katra-Srinagar service saves two to three hours, and the Ernakulam-Bengaluru service saves over two hours. India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper between Howrah and Guwahati, launched in January 2026, saves nearly three hours. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, targeted for August 2027, will cover the 508-kilometre distance at 320 kilometres per hour in 1 hour 58 minutes and will include India’s first undersea rail tunnel. Seven additional high-speed rail corridors spanning nearly 4,000 kilometres were announced in the Union Budget 2026-27 with an estimated investment of Rs 16 lakh crore, connecting major city pairs within one to four hours.
What this means for you
If you commute between Delhi and nearby cities, expressways have cut travel time by hours. Business travellers and tourists between major metros now save significant time and money. Residents of Northeast India and Jammu-Kashmir benefit from all-weather connectivity and reduced isolation. The high-speed rail projects will eventually make weekend trips to neighbouring cities more feasible for ordinary families.
What happens next
The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is targeted for operational launch in August 2027. The seven announced high-speed rail corridors will be rolled out in phases, with design and construction timelines still to be finalised.