Mumbai-Pune High-Speed Rail Announced in Budget 2026: Travel Time to Shrink Drastically

Mumbai: In the Union Budget 2026, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced seven high-speed rail corridors across India, including two in Maharashtra — one connecting Mumbai to Pune and the other Pune to Hyderabad. The introduction of a high-speed rail between Mumbai and Pune is expected to drastically reduce travel time between the two cities, potentially bringing them just minutes apart.

Currently, travelers between Mumbai and Pune have three main options: conventional trains, flights, and the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. While the missing link of the expressway is expected to open soon, the announcement of the high-speed rail corridor has already created a buzz. Mumbai, India’s financial capital, and Pune, an emerging IT hub, will benefit from improved connectivity that could further boost Pune’s growth.

Travel Time and Distance
The high-speed rail is expected to cover the approximately 150 km distance between Mumbai and Pune in 60 to 90 minutes. For comparison, Pune-Hyderabad currently takes 8–9 hours by conventional trains, which could be reduced to 3–4 hours once the high-speed rail is operational. Trains on the corridor are planned to run at minimum speeds of 250–320 km/h, with a maximum of 350 km/h. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, for instance, operates at 320 km/h. The National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) will oversee construction, continuing the work started on India’s first bullet train corridor. Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has already confirmed that India’s first bullet train will start operations on 15 August 2027.

Current Travel Scenario
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway is approximately 150 km long, while the older highway stretches around 160 km. Conventional train routes range from 120 to 192 km, and flights cover 118–124 km. Travel by road currently takes about 3 hours, with the Shivneri bus service taking 2.5–5 hours. Conventional trains take around 2.5–4 hours. The new high-speed rail will dramatically reduce this to just 1–1.5 hours. Earlier plans for a hyperloop train promised a 25-minute journey, but the high-speed rail corridor announced in Budget 2026 is now considered the finalized plan.

The high-speed rail promises to reshape connectivity and economic synergy between Mumbai and Pune, creating new opportunities for business, IT, and commuting convenience.