Budget 2026: Freight corridor, high-speed rail - key announcements for West Bengal
Union Budget 2026: The Finance Minister announced the setting up of new Dedicated Freight Corridors connecting Dankuni in the East to Surat in the West
- Feb 1, 2026,
- Updated Feb 1, 2026 1:29 PM IST
Union Budget 2026 | Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Budget 2026, announced several key initiatives for eastern states, including poll-bound West Bengal.
Under the header 'Focus on the Purvodaya States and the North-Eastern Region', Sitharaman said: "I propose the development of an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur, creation of 5 tourism destinations in the 5 Purvodaya States."
Union Budget 2026 Live Updates
The Purvodaya states include Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
The Finance Minister also announced the setting up of new Dedicated Freight Corridors connecting Dankuni in the East to Surat in the West.
To promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems, Sitharaman said the government will develop seven high-speed rail corridors between cities as “growth connectors”. The corridors will connect Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri.
Commenting on the announcements, Rajarshi Dasgupta, Executive Director - Tax, AQUILAW, said: "The government will begin the development of the East Industrial Corridor starting from Durgapur, strengthening industrial growth and connectivity in eastern India."
Dasgupta also said that the seven new high-speed rail corridors between major cities — including Varanasi to Siliguri — "are expected to reduce travel time, boost regional connectivity, and drive economic activity along their routes."
Focus on North-Eastern Region
The Finance Minister also flagged a push to strengthen design education in eastern India, citing the mismatch between the growth of India's design industry and the shortage of trained professionals. "The Indian design industry is expanding rapidly and yet there is a shortage of Indian designers. I propose to establish through challenge route, a new National Institute of Design to boost design education and development in the eastern region of India," she said.
On tourism and heritage, Sitharaman proposed a dedicated scheme to develop Buddhist circuits in the North-East. "Buddhist Sites in North-Eastern Region: The North-Eastern Region is a civilizational confluence of Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana traditions. I propose to launch a Scheme for Development of Buddhist Circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura."
The FM said the scheme will focus on both heritage and visitor infrastructure. "The Scheme will cover preservation of temples and monasteries, pilgrimage interpretation centers, connectivity and pilgrim amenities."
Track live Budget updates, breaking news, expert opinions and in-depth analysis only on BusinessToday.in
Union Budget 2026 | Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Budget 2026, announced several key initiatives for eastern states, including poll-bound West Bengal.
Under the header 'Focus on the Purvodaya States and the North-Eastern Region', Sitharaman said: "I propose the development of an integrated East Coast Industrial Corridor with a well-connected node at Durgapur, creation of 5 tourism destinations in the 5 Purvodaya States."
Union Budget 2026 Live Updates
The Purvodaya states include Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
The Finance Minister also announced the setting up of new Dedicated Freight Corridors connecting Dankuni in the East to Surat in the West.
To promote environmentally sustainable passenger systems, Sitharaman said the government will develop seven high-speed rail corridors between cities as “growth connectors”. The corridors will connect Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri.
Commenting on the announcements, Rajarshi Dasgupta, Executive Director - Tax, AQUILAW, said: "The government will begin the development of the East Industrial Corridor starting from Durgapur, strengthening industrial growth and connectivity in eastern India."
Dasgupta also said that the seven new high-speed rail corridors between major cities — including Varanasi to Siliguri — "are expected to reduce travel time, boost regional connectivity, and drive economic activity along their routes."
Focus on North-Eastern Region
The Finance Minister also flagged a push to strengthen design education in eastern India, citing the mismatch between the growth of India's design industry and the shortage of trained professionals. "The Indian design industry is expanding rapidly and yet there is a shortage of Indian designers. I propose to establish through challenge route, a new National Institute of Design to boost design education and development in the eastern region of India," she said.
On tourism and heritage, Sitharaman proposed a dedicated scheme to develop Buddhist circuits in the North-East. "Buddhist Sites in North-Eastern Region: The North-Eastern Region is a civilizational confluence of Theravada and Mahayana/Vajrayana traditions. I propose to launch a Scheme for Development of Buddhist Circuits in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura."
The FM said the scheme will focus on both heritage and visitor infrastructure. "The Scheme will cover preservation of temples and monasteries, pilgrimage interpretation centers, connectivity and pilgrim amenities."
Track live Budget updates, breaking news, expert opinions and in-depth analysis only on BusinessToday.in