Excluding Kerala from High-Speed Rail Corridors "indefensible": Shashi Tharoor on Union Budget

New Delhi [India], February 1 (ANI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday criticised the Union Budget 2026-2027 for excluding Kerala from the new High-Speed Rail Corridors announced across India, calling it "indefensible".
In a post on X, Tharoor welcomed the announcement of seven new corridors but expressed concern over Kerala's exclusion.
"The announcement of 7 new High-Speed Rail Corridors across India is welcome for the nation, but the glaring exclusion of Kerala is indefensible. We are a high-density state crying out for modern transit," he said.
Tharoor said that while the Central government ignores Kerala, the state government continues proposing projects it cannot afford.
"The Centre ignores us, and the State proposes paper projects it cannot afford. Our commuters are left with nothing. We need actual trains, not new acronyms," Tharoor added.

The announcement of 7 new High-Speed Rail Corridors across India is welcome for the nation, but the glaring exclusion of Kerala is indefensible. We are a high-density state crying out for modern transit. The Centre ignores us, and the State proposes paper projects it cannot…

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 1, 2026

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented the Union Budget 2026-27 in Lok Sabha, her ninth consecutive Union Budget.
Asserting that the Union Budget 2026-27 is driven by "Yuvashakti" and based on "three kartavyas," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, new dedicated freight corridors, and the operationalisation of 20 national waterways over the next five years as part of the Union Budget.
The Union Budget has outlined a major push for environmentally sustainable passenger transport, proposing the development of seven high-speed rail corridors across key urban and economic centres. These corridors will act as growth connectors, cutting travel time, reducing emissions, and supporting regional development.
The proposed routes include Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. Together, they will link India's financial hubs, technology centres, manufacturing clusters, and emerging cities through faster, cleaner mobility.
The Budget also highlighted eco-tourism and nature-based travel. The Finance Minister said, "India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experience." The government will develop sustainable mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats. (ANI)