Bengaluru-Chennai high-speed rail: Byappanahalli, Whitefield may get underground stations

Representational picture

• Bengaluru-Chennai high-speed rail to include two underground stations in Bengaluru
• 306 km corridor survey done
• Travel time on Chennai-Bengaluru corridor expected to be about 1 hour 13 minutes

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The proposed Bengaluru-Chennai high-speed rail corridor (306 Km) is likely to have two underground stations in the Karnataka capital- Byappanahalli and Whitefield-sources in the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) told Moneycontrol.

Sources said final alignment survey for the Chennai-Bengaluru stretch has now been completed. “The alignment will soon be finalised,” said a source aware of the developments.

The stations planned along the corridor include Chennai Central, Poonamallee, Parandur (proposed site of Chennai’s second airport), Chittoor (Ramapuram), Kolar (Hudukula), Kodihalli near Hoskote (maintenance depot), Whitefield, and Byappanahalli.

Also, read: Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru high-speed rail project likely to be a game-changer

The corridor is designed for a maximum speed of 350 kmph, with an operational speed of 320 kmph and an average speed of about 250 kmph.

“Four routes were considered for this corridor. This alignment was selected based on the shorter route, terrain constraints, and other technical factors,” a source said.

The entire corridor will be elevated, except for tunnel sections measuring about 2.5 km in Chennai city, 11.5km in Mogili ghat section (Chitoor) in Andhra Pradesh, and around 12km within Bengaluru city. In Bengaluru, underground stretch will run from Whitefield to Byappanahalli.

Also, read: Budget 2026: 7 high-speed rail corridors to connect cities, 'growth corridors'

Sources said Chittoor station has been planned between Chittoor and Vellore to ensure easy access for both cities. Sources said Kolar station at Hudukula has been identified to serve both Kolar and Bangarpet. Chittoor station was initially considered closer to the city, but alignment has since moved it towards Ramapuram near Gudipala, closer to Katpadi area. Maintenance depots are proposed at Poonamallee near Chennai and at Kodihalli.

NHSRCL had earlier awarded the work for LiDAR survey and final alignment to Aarvee, utilities marking and mapping to Subudhi Tech, and general arrangement drawings to TransLink.

On the Mysuru extension, an official said the city has not been dropped from the plan. “Mysuru will be taken up in Phase II and will be announced soon along with a few other lines. There is now an expressway between Bengaluru and Mysuru, which has significantly reduced travel time,” the official said.

Also, read: India’s first indigenous high-speed train set to enter manufacturing phase soon

In the Union Budget for 2026-27, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, including Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Bengaluru-Chennai. However, Bengaluru-Mysuru stretch was not included in the announced corridors, even though NHSRCL had earlier identified the 435-km Chennai-Bengaluru-Mysuru high-speed rail project.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said seven corridors together span nearly 4,000 km and are expected to attract investments of about Rs 16 lakh crore, positioning Indian Railways as a key pillar of future mobility.

“Travel time on Chennai-Bengaluru corridor will be about 1 hour 13 minutes, Bengaluru-Hyderabad around 2 hours, and Chennai-Hyderabad approximately 2 hours 55 minutes,” he said.

Also, read: Union Budget 2026: Karnataka says Bengaluru-Mumbai or Pune high speed rail would benefit the state more