

HYDERABAD: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday clarified that no land acquisition requisition has been sent to the respective state governments for the proposed Hyderabad–Chennai, Hyderabad–Bengaluru and Hyderabad–Pune high-speed rail corridors, warning that any land acquisition being undertaken in the name of these projects at this stage was illegal.
At a meeting with Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy, Vaishnaw said alignment studies for all three corridors were under way. Once the routes are finalised, details will be shared with the respective state governments and farmers, he said.
The clarification comes amid growing interest in the proposed corridors and concerns among landowners over the routes and possible acquisition of their properties.
The Union Budget for 2026–27 announced seven high-speed rail corridors, including the Hyderabad–Chennai, Hyderabad–Bengaluru and Hyderabad–Pune corridors, as part of plans to improve connectivity between major cities. The proposed network is intended to reduce travel time and strengthen links between economic centres.