India’s expanding transport network is helping to reduce travel time on key routes; bridges, tunnels, expressways, and high-speed rail services are improving connectivity between cities and regions. By replacing long, arduous routes with direct ones, these projects are making daily travel faster and more convenient.
Bridges and Tunnels Cut Travel Time
Major bridges have significantly reduced travel time across rivers and difficult terrains. In Assam, the Dhola-Sadia Bridge reduced the travel time between Rupai and Meka/Roing from approximately 6 hours to 1 hour, while the Bogibeel Bridge cut the travel time between Dhemaji and Dibrugarh from nearly a day to just 1 to 2 hours.
The Kosi Rail Mega Bridge has reduced the travel time between Nirmali and Saraigarh from approximately eight hours to 30 minutes. In mountainous regions, the Atal Tunnel saves about 4 to 5 hours on the route to Lahaul-Spiti, while the Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel has cut travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by approximately 2 hours.
Expressways Cut Long-Distance Travel Time
Access-controlled expressways are also transforming the way people travel between cities. The Atal Setu has reduced the travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai from approximately 2 hours to around 20 minutes, while the Delhi-Meerut Expressway has cut travel time from about 2 and a half hours to roughly 50 minutes.
The Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway has reduced travel time from approximately 3 hours to around 75 minutes. The Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor has cut travel time from over 6 hours to about 2.5 hours. The Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg has also significantly reduced travel time between these two cities.
Faster Rail Services Cut Travel Time
The Railways is further enhancing these benefits through faster services and new-generation trains. In the 2026 railway timetable, the speed of 549 trains has been increased, with 20 of them seeing a speed boost of one hour or more.
Moving forward, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor is designed to reduce travel time to approximately 1 hour and 58 minutes. There are also plans to construct seven high-speed rail corridors—announced in the Union Budget 2026-27—spanning a total distance of around 4,000 kilometers, which are expected to connect several major cities within a travel time of approximately 1 to 4 hours.
The Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat has reduced the travel time to approximately three hours, while the Howrah-Guwahati Vande Bharat Sleeper saves about 3 hours compared to the Saraighat Express. Taken together, these projects are making travel across India faster and more convenient. From bridges and tunnels to expressways and modern rail services, improved connectivity is helping bring cities and regions closer while reducing travel time.
(PIB)
