Varanasi-Siliguri high-speed rail corridor a political gimmick of BJP: Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb
Telegraph | 7 February 2026
Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb on Friday called the proposed Varanasi-Siliguri high-speed rail corridor a “political gimmick” of the BJP and questioned the project’s viability in the absence of key details in the Union budget.
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the corridor that would connect Varanasi with Siliguri in the budget she presented on February 1.
Addressing mediapersons at the PWD inspection bungalow here, Deb, who is also a senior Trinamool Congress leader, said that although Sitharaman had announced the high-speed rail corridor, the details of feasibility studies, budgetary allocation or the project deadline weren’t available.
“The finance minister announced a high-speed rail corridor between Varanasi and Siliguri, which was later described as a bullet train project by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. This is nothing but a political gimmick of the BJP, as no funds are allocated for the project in the budget. No feasibility study was conducted and the tentative completion date has not been announced either,” the mayor said.
Highlighting the Centre’s first bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, Deb pointed out that the 508km-long corridor faced repeated delays despite detailed planning and international collaboration.
The Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail project is being executed by the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Indian Railways.
In February 2013, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the railway ministry and SNCF, the French national railway company, for technical cooperation.
Further studies for the project were conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and SNCF. While JICA examined technology, alignment and traffic aspects, SNCF worked on business projections and feasibility, including alignment surveys.
Deb said that although work on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad project had been formally launched in 2017 with an initial deadline of 2023, it was incomplete.
“When a 500km-long railway line is still struggling to meet its deadline, how can a new project spanning nearly 700km be announced without a feasibility report, funds allocation or a fixed timeline? This is merely another attempt by the BJP to divert public attention,” he added.
The assertion from Deb hints that Trinamool is keen to counter the BJP’s infrastructure card. With Assembly elections around the corner, the BJP is consistently highlighting the infrastructure development, specifically in terms of connectivity, carried out by the Centre in the state, particularly in north Bengal.
After the budget, Vaishnaw and BJP MPs like Raju Bista said the Centre had allocated ₹14,205 crore for railway projects in Bengal.
“As the BJP is playing the infrastructure card, Trinamool is seeking to counter it by raising questions over ambitious projects announced by the Centre for Bengal,” said a political observer.