Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says the Centre has agreed to extend the proposed Northern high-speed rail corridor beyond Siliguri, potentially reducing travel between Guwahati and Delhi to less than eight hours.
Guwahati, November 2, 2026: A formal request submitted by Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma nearly five months ago has gained renewed significance following the Centre’s decision to include Guwahati in the proposed Northern bullet train corridor.
The Chief Minister has shared details of his efforts to secure the extension of the high-speed railway network, which was originally planned to terminate at Siliguri in West Bengal.
In a social media post on Sunday, November 1, Sarma welcomed the decision and revealed that he had personally pursued the matter with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The proposed extension could make Guwahati accessible from Delhi in less than eight hours, according to the Chief Minister’s projections.
June 7 Letter Highlighted Guwahati’s Strategic Importance
The development follows a letter dated June 7, 2026, in which Sarma urged Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to extend the Delhi-Siliguri High-Speed Rail Corridor to Assam’s largest city.
In the communication, the Chief Minister expressed concern that Guwahati had been excluded from the original proposal despite its importance as the principal commercial and transportation gateway to the Northeast.
He argued that extending the corridor into Assam would allow the region to participate in India’s emerging high-speed railway network while encouraging tourism, trade, economic activity and investment.
The letter also highlighted the infrastructure development undertaken in the Northeast and sought the Railway Ministry’s consideration of the proposed extension.
Following the written representation, Sarma met Vaishnaw in July to discuss the issue further.
According to the Chief Minister, the Railway Minister acknowledged the importance of the proposal and agreed to include Guwahati in the planned corridor.
Railway Minister Announces Northern High-Speed Rail Corridor
On October 31, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in Varanasi that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had approved the Northern bullet train corridor.
The proposed network will connect Delhi with several important cities across northern and eastern India, including Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Patna and Siliguri, before extending to Guwahati.
The announcement represents an expansion of the earlier high-speed rail plans, which included the Delhi-Varanasi and Varanasi-Siliguri corridors.
Once developed, the network is intended to offer substantially faster passenger services between major urban centres.
Delhi-Guwahati Journey Could Be Reduced to Under Eight Hours
In his pinned post on X, Sarma expressed confidence that high-speed rail connectivity would dramatically change long-distance travel for residents of Assam and the wider Northeast.
He suggested that passengers could eventually travel between Guwahati and Delhi in under eight hours, making the service an attractive option for business travellers, tourists and other passengers.
The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for supporting the extension.
He also described the announcement as the beginning of a new chapter in Assam’s connectivity with other parts of the country.
However, the estimated travel time remains a projection, and an operational timetable has not been announced.
Bullet Train Connectivity Could Support High-Tech Investment in Assam
Beyond passenger convenience, Sarma highlighted the project’s potential contribution to Assam’s industrial and economic ambitions.
As the state prepares to attract investments in technology-oriented industries, improved transport connections with major cities could make business travel more efficient and support greater movement of professionals, entrepreneurs and tourists.
The Chief Minister believes that faster links with Delhi and other state capitals would help create employment opportunities and improve the region’s access to larger economic markets.
He also reflected on how the possibility of bullet train services reaching Assam had once seemed remote, suggesting that the Centre’s latest decision has brought that aspiration closer to realisation.
Project Schedule and Final Route Details Yet to Be Announced
Although the Northern corridor has received the Centre’s approval, detailed implementation plans for the Guwahati extension are still awaited.
The final railway alignment, station locations, project cost, construction schedule and proposed commencement of passenger services have not yet been publicly confirmed.
The announcement therefore marks an important planning milestone rather than the beginning of operational bullet train services.
For Assam, the proposed extension is expected to strengthen its position within India’s future high-speed rail network, potentially opening new possibilities for regional connectivity, tourism and economic development.
