New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS): The transformation of India’s transport network is changing how people and regions connect with one another, a government factsheet showed on Thursday, adding that bridges and tunnels are opening new crossings while expressways and modern rail services are redefining long-distance travel.
Bridges are removing long and slow river crossings from everyday travel and turning journeys that once took hours into much shorter trips.
The rail-cum-road bridge over the Brahmaputra has transformed connectivity between Dhemaji and Dibrugarh. Journeys that earlier took almost an entire day now take about one to two hours, said the factsheet.
The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link provides a direct connection between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, cutting the journey to about 20 minutes.
The Kosi Rail Mahasetu reduced the rail journey between Nirmali and Saraigarh from about eight hours to 30 minutes, while reducing the distance from about 300 km to 22 km.
Moreover, the 200-metre Sisseri River Bridge reduced the travel time between Pasighat and Roing by about five hours, strengthening connectivity between Dibang Valley and Siang.
Tunnels are taking the shortest route through some of India’s most difficult terrain.
The 9.02-km Atal Tunnel bypasses Rohtang Pass and reduces the Manali–Sarchu distance by 46 km, providing all-weather connectivity to Lahaul-Spiti.
The 9-km Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel bypasses difficult terrain and cuts the travel distance by about 30 km and reduces travel time between Jammu and Srinagar by nearly two hours.
Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, built at an altitude of about 13,000 feet, ensures all-weather connectivity on the strategically important Tezpur-Tawang route.
Expressways are changing the pace of inter-city travel through shorter alignments, controlled access and higher speeds.
The 82-km Delhi–Meerut Expressway reduced travel time between Delhi and Meerut from around two and a half hours to about 50 minutes.
The 213-km Delhi–Dehradun Economic Corridor reduces travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from over six hours to around two and a half hours.
The Delhi–Mumbai greenfield expressway is being developed to reduce travel time between Delhi and Mumbai to about 12 hours from roughly 33 hours.
Meanwhile, Vande Bharat Express and India’s first Vande Bharat Sleeper are saving crucial time for passengers.
The 508-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, with an operational speed of 320 kmph, will serve 12 stations. It includes India’s first undersea rail tunnel, about 7 km beneath Thane Creek. The first service is targeted for August 2027.
Announced in the Union Budget 2026–27, the seven High-Speed Rail (HSR) Corridors span nearly 4,000 km with an estimated investment of Rs 16 lakh crore, said the factsheet.
