A tender has been issued to take forward the Chennai–Bengaluru bullet train project, railway officials said. The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) has invited bids for project works and construction.
Officials said the contractor will be required to execute the works based on a revised alignment and updated route drawings mentioned in the new tender.
The 306-km high-speed corridor is planned with eight key stations: Chennai Central, Poonamallee, Arakkonam, Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), Kolar (Karnataka), Kodihalli, Whitefield and Bengaluru. Parandur, linked to the proposed new airport, has been indicated as a “future station” for now.
The service is designed for speeds up to 350 kmph, and officials expect the Chennai–Bengaluru travel time to reduce from about seven hours to around 73 minutes once operational. The first bullet train station in Chennai is planned on the western side of the Chennai suburban railway station, with proposed links of about 100 metres to Chennai Central and about 50 metres to the Metro station.
Of the total route length, around 28 km is planned as an underground tunnel section. The project is targeted for completion by 2035, with an estimated cost of ₹18,000 crore.
